Where is Easter Island? Easter Island: photo. Easter Island: “The Mysterious Rapa Nui What is the name of the island of Rapa Nui

Easter Island

Spanish Isla de Pascua, rap. Rapa Nui



Characteristics

Square	163.6 km²

Highest point	539 m

Population	5806 people (2012)

Population density	35.49 people/km²

Location

27°07′00″ S w. 109°21′00″ W d.


Water area

A country

Region	Valparaiso

Provinces	Isla de Pascua

Easter Island


Media files on Wikimedia Commons

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui(Spanish) Isla de Pascua, rap. Rapa Nui, Netherlands Paas eiland) - an island in the southeastern part Pacific Ocean, territory (together with the uninhabited island of Sala y Gomez, it forms the province and commune of Isla de Pascua within the Valparaiso region). The local name of the island is Rapa Nui, or Rapa Nui(Rap. Rapa Nui). Area - 163.6 km².

Along with the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, it is the most remote inhabited island in the world. The distance to the continental coast of Chile is 3514 km, to the island, the nearest populated area, 2075 km. The island was discovered by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen on Easter Sunday 1722.

The capital of the island and its only city is Hanga Roa. A total of 5,806 people live on the island (2012).

Rapa Nui is largely famous for its moai, or stone statues made of compressed volcanic ash, which, according to local beliefs, contain the supernatural power of the ancestors of the first king of Easter Island, Hotu Matu'a. Annexed in 1888. In 1995 National Park Rapa Nui (Easter Island) has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Etymology

Easter Island Flag

Coat of arms of Easter Island

Easter Island has several names:

Hititeairagi(rap. Hititeairagi), or Hiti-ai-rangi(rap. Hiti-ai-rangi);
Tekaowhangoaru(rap. Tekaouhangoaru);
Mata-ki-te-Ragi(rap. Mata-ki-te-Ragi, translated from Rapanui - “eyes looking into the sky”);
Te-Pito-o-te-henua(rap. Te-Pito-o-te-henua - “navel of the earth”);
Rapa Nui or Rapa Nui(Rap. Rapa Nui - "Great Rapa"), a name mainly used by whalers;
San Carlos Island(Spanish) Isla de San Carlos), named so by Gonzalez Don Felipe in honor of the king;
Teapi(rap. Teapi) - this is what James Cook called the island;
Vaihu(rap. Vaihu), or Waihou(rap. Vaihou), there is a variant Vaigu, - this name was also used by James Cook, and later by Forster and La Perouse (a bay in the northeast of the island was named in his honor);
Easter Island(Dutch. Paasch-Eyland; Spanish. Isla de Pascua), so named by the Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen because he discovered it on Easter Day 1722.

Very often, Easter Island is called Rapa Nui (translated as “Big Rapa”). The island received this name thanks to Tahitian navigators, who used it to distinguish between Easter Island and the island of Rapa Iti (translated as “Little Rapa”), which lies 650 km south of Tahiti and has topological similarities with it. The very name "Rapanui" has caused a lot of controversy among linguists about the correct spelling of this word. Among English-speaking specialists the word “ Rapa Nui" (separately) is used to name the island, and the word " Rapanui"(continuously) - when we are talking about people or local culture.

Geography

Easter Island is a unique territory in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, which is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. It is located 3514 km from the coast of the nearest mainland in the east () and is 2075 km away from the nearest inhabited islands in the west (island). Island coordinates: 27°07′ S w. 109°21′W d.. The area of the island is 163.6 km². The nearest land is the uninhabited Sala y Gomez archipelago, apart from a few rocks near the island.

The island has the shape of a right triangle, the hypotenuse of which is the southeastern shore. The sides of this “triangle” have lengths of 16, 18 and 24 km. In the corners of the island rise extinct volcanoes: Rano Kau (rap. Rano Kau) (324 m) near the Mataveri settlement; Pua-Katiki (rap. Puakatike) (377 m) and Terevaka (rap. Terevaka, 539 m - the highest point of the island).

The highest crater of the Terevaka volcano is called Rano Aroi (rap. Rano Aroi, about 200 m). Actually, “Rano-Aroi” is the name of the lake that fills the extinct crater.

Another Terevaka crater - Rano Raraku (rap. Rano Raraku) (160 m) is also a lake with a large reserve fresh water, surrounded by reed thickets. The diameter of this crater is about 650 m.

The diameter of the Rano Kau crater is about 1500 m. The volcano has a symmetrical shape and is surrounded by hilly terrain. The southern slope breaks into the ocean.

On the inner slopes of volcanoes, vegetation is more abundant. This is due to more fertile soil, the absence of strong winds and the “greenhouse effect”.

Easter Island is of volcanic origin. The soil was formed as a result of erosion of the slopes of volcanoes. The most fertile soil is located in the north of the island, where local residents Sweet potatoes and yams are grown. The most common rocks on the island are basalt, obsidian, rhyolite, and trachyte. The steep cliffs at La Perouse Bay (locally called Hanga Hoonu) are made of red lava.

The island is surrounded by small islands: at the southeastern tip - Motu Nui (rap. Motu Nui, the largest island on which in the distant past military leaders of the inhabitants of Rapanui were elected), Motu-Iti (rap. Motu Iti), Motu-Kao-Kao (rap. Motu Kao Kao, this island has a magnetic anomaly), at the western end - Motu Tautira (rap. Motu Tautira), and at the eastern tip - Motu Marotiri (rap. Motu Marotiri).

Panorama of Easter Island from the border of the Rano Kau crater

Island climate

Climatogram of Easter Island

The climate of Easter Island is warm and tropical. The average annual temperature is 21.8 °C, the coldest month is August (19.2 °C), the warmest is January (24.6 °C). The island lies near the southern border of the zone of southeast winds that blow in summer. In winter, northwestern winds predominate, but there are also southwestern and southeastern winds. Despite its proximity to the tropics, the climate on the island is relatively moderate. Heat is rare. This is due to the proximity of the cold Humboldt Current and the lack of any land between the island and. Winds from Antarctica in July-August often reduce daytime air temperatures to 20° Celsius.

The main source of fresh water on the island is lakes formed in the craters of local volcanoes. There are no rivers on Rapa Nui, and rainwater easily percolates through the soil, forming groundwater that flows towards the ocean. Since there is not much water on the island, local residents in the past built wells and small reservoirs everywhere.

Table average monthly temperatures, precipitation and humidity

Flora

Easter Island in spring

The flora of the island is very poor: experts count no more than 30 species of plants growing on Rapa Nui. Most of them were brought from other islands, America,. Many endemic plants that were previously widespread on Rapa Nui have been exterminated. Between the 9th and 17th centuries there was active cutting down of trees (according to another version, the trees died due to long-term drought, or these factors acted simultaneously), which led to the disappearance of forests on the island (probably before that, forests of endemic palm trees grew on it Paschalococos disperta). Another reason could be rats eating tree seeds. Due to the irrational economic activity human and other factors, the resulting accelerated soil erosion caused enormous damage to agriculture, as a result of which the population of Rapa Nui decreased significantly.

One of the extinct plants - Sophora toromiro, whose local name is Toromiro(rap. toromiro). This small tree (no more than 2 m high) of the legume family on the island in the past played an important role in the culture of the Rapanui people: “talking tablets” with local pictograms were made from it.

The trunk of the toromiro, with a diameter of a human thigh and thinner, was often used in the construction of houses; darts were also made from it. In the 19th-20th centuries, this tree was exterminated (one of the reasons was that the young shoots were destroyed by sheep brought to the island). The plant was preserved by growing from collected seeds only in a few botanical gardens in Europe and Chile; attempts at reacclimatization on the island have not yet been successful.

Another plant on the island is a species of mulberry tree, whose local name is mahute(rap. mahute). In the past, this plant also played a significant role in the life of the islanders: white clothing called tapa was made from the bast of the mulberry tree. After the arrival of the first Europeans on the island - whalers and missionaries - the importance of mahute in the life of the Rapanui people decreased.

Plant roots you(rap. ti), or Dracaena terminalis, were used to make sugar. This plant was also used to make dark blue and green powder, which was then applied to the body as tattoos.

Makoi(rap. makoi) ( Thespesia populnea) was used for carving.

One of the surviving plants of the island, which grows on the slopes of the Rano Kao and Rano Raraku craters, is sedge Scirpus californicus, used in the construction of houses.

In recent decades, small growths of eucalyptus have begun to appear on the island. IN XVIII-XIX centuries Grapes, bananas, melons, and sugar cane were brought to the island.

Fauna

Before the arrival of Europeans on the island, the fauna of Easter Island was mainly represented by marine animals: seals, turtles, crabs. Chickens were raised on the island. Species of the local fauna that previously inhabited Rapa Nui have become extinct - for example, a subspecies of the rat Rattus exulans, which was used as food by local residents in the past. Instead, rats of the species were brought to the island by European ships Rattus norvegicus And Rattus rattus, who became carriers of various diseases previously unknown to the Rapanui people.

Currently, the island is home to 25 species of seabirds and 6 species of land birds.

Population

Main article: Population of Easter Island

It is estimated that during the cultural heyday on Easter Island in the 16th and 17th centuries, the population of Rapa Nui ranged from 10 to 15 thousand people. Because of environmental disaster, which broke out as a result of the anthropogenic factor, as well as clashes between residents, the population by the time the first Europeans arrived had decreased to 2-3 thousand people, which is exactly how much the island could feed. By 1877, as a result of the removal of local residents to hard labor, epidemics and extensive sheep farming, the population decreased further and amounted to 111 people. By 1888, the time of the island's annexation, 178 people lived on Rapa Nui. According to the latest census in 2012, there were already 5,806 people living on the island. The population density on the island reached 36 people/km² (compared to 230 in the region and 8.4 in the region). The official languages on the island are Spanish and Rapa Nui. The majority of the island's modern inhabitants (52%) are Spanish-speaking immigrants from mainland Chile, as well as their 2nd and 3rd generation descendants; 48% of residents are of full or partial Rapa Nui descent. The proportion of pure autochthons tends to decrease due to their gradual cross-breeding and hispanization.

Administration

Main article: Isla de Pascua (province)

Easter Island, along with the surrounding islets and the uninhabited island of Sala y Gomez, forms the province of Isla de Pascua and the commune of the same name in the Chilean region of Valparaiso. The province is headed by a governor accredited to the Chilean government and appointed by the president. Since 1984, only a local resident can become the governor of the island (the first was Sergio Rapu Haoa, a former archaeologist and museum curator). Since 1966, the settlement of Hanga Roa has elected a local council of 6 members, headed by a mayor, every four years.

There are about two dozen police officers on the island, mainly responsible for security at the local airport.

The Chilean armed forces (mainly the Navy) are also present. The current currency on the island is the Chilean peso (US dollars are also in circulation on the island). Easter Island is a duty-free zone, so tax revenues to the island's budget are relatively small. It largely consists of government subsidies.

Infrastructure

LAN Airlines plane at the island airport

In 1966, Mataveri Island's only airport became a base for the US Air Force, and in 1986 it was reconstructed by NASA for possible emergency landings of US Shuttles, making it one of the most remote airports in the world capable of accommodating high-capacity aircraft. Due to the sharp influx of tourists, active construction is underway on the island, and tourism itself has become the main source of income for local residents (however, the total number of tourists is not so large).

The island has a centralized water supply system, although until recently local residents used fresh water from lakes of extinct volcanoes. Electricity on the island is generated by diesel generators available in every home. Paved roads are located near the administrative center of the island - the settlement of Anga Roa, as well as Mataveri, where the airport is located. At the same time, the road from Hanga Roa to Anakena Bay in the north and to the Poike Peninsula in the south is tarmacked. At the Anga Roa school, after graduation, you can receive a high school diploma, which gives you the right to enter a higher education institution, but there are no higher educational institutions on the island, so local residents have to go to mainland Chile to continue their education. At the Easter Island Primary School, under the auspices of UNESCO, classes are conducted in two languages - Rapa Nui and Spanish. Rapa Nui also has an anthropological museum named after Father Sebastian Englert, as well as a large library with a collection of books on the history, culture and study of Easter Island.

Health care on the island is much better than in other remote parts of Chile. There is one small hospital, as well as an outpatient clinic.

Other infrastructure facilities (church, post office, bank, pharmacy, small shops, one supermarket, cafes and restaurants) appeared mainly in the 1960s. The island has a satellite phone, internet and even a small disco for local residents. To call Easter Island, you need to dial the Chilean code - +56, the Easter Island code - +32 and, since August 5, 2006, the number 2. After this, you dial a local number consisting of 6 digits (with the first three being 100 or 551 - this is the only valid prefixes on the island).

Tourism

Anakena - the most famous beach of the island

Ahu Tongariki

Tourism is the main source of income for the population. The only regular air service to Easter Island is provided by the Chilean airline " LAN Airlines", whose planes depart from Tahiti, making an intermediate stop on Easter Island. Domestic flights are carried out according to the “Santiago - Easter Island - Santiago” scheme. Depending on which ticket is ordered, international or domestic, departure takes place from two different terminals of the Santiago airport. Flight schedules vary depending on the time of year. In December-March, flights operate several times a week. The rest of the year - from one to two times a week. The flight lasts about 5 hours. Starting from November 2010, you can also get to Easter Island by direct flight from the capital. All planes land at the only airport on Easter Island - Mataveri. Rapa Nui has only one marina for small ships. There are no regular shipping connections with other parts of the planet.

There are several hotels on the island, including four- and three-star hotels. Prices on Rapa Nui are very high; This is due to the fact that most products are imported. The island's attractions can be reached by taxi, rental cars, bicycles, horses or on foot.

Since 1975, the island has annually held the Tapati festival (Tapati Rapa Nui) in late January - early February, accompanied by dancing, singing and various traditional Rapa Nui competitions.

Attractions

Profile of the statue against the background of the crater of the Rano Roratka volcano

Moai are stone statues on the coast of Easter Island in the form of a human head with a body truncated approximately at waist level. Their height reaches 20 meters. Contrary to popular belief, they do not look towards the ocean, but into the interior of the island. Some moai have red stone caps. Moai were made in quarries in the center of the island.

How they were delivered to the coast is unknown. According to legend, they “walked” themselves. Recently, volunteer enthusiasts have found several ways to transport stone blocks, but which one the ancient inhabitants used (or some of their own) has not yet been determined. The Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl in his book “Aku-Aku” gives a description of one of these methods, which was tested in action by local residents. According to the book, information about this method was obtained from one of the few remaining direct descendants of the Moai builders. Thus, one of the Moai, overturned from the pedestal, was put back by using logs slipped under the statue as levers, by swinging which it was possible to achieve small movements of the statue along the vertical axis. The movements were recorded by placing stones of various sizes under the top of the statue and alternating them. The actual transportation of the statues could be carried out using wooden sleds. A local resident presents this method as the most likely, but he himself believes that the statues still reached their places on their own.

Many unfinished idols are in the quarries. A detailed study of the island gives the impression of a sudden cessation of work on the statues.

Rano-Raraku- one of the most interesting places for tourists. At the foot of this volcano there are about 300 moai, of varying heights and at different stages of completion. Not far from the bay there is an ahu Tongariki - the largest ritual site with 15 statues of various sizes installed on it.
On the shore of the bay Anakena one of the the most beautiful beaches islands with crystal white coral sand. Swimming is allowed in the bay. Picnics are organized for tourists in palm groves. Also not far from Anakena Bay there are ahu Ature-Huki and ahoo Naunau. According to ancient Rapa Nui legend, it was in this bay that Hotu Matu'a, the first king of Rapa Nui, landed with the first settlers of the island.
Te Pito Te Whenua(rap. “Navel of the Earth”) - a ceremonial site on an island made of round stones. The origin of this place is quite controversial. Anthropologist Christian Walter claims that Te Pito te whenua was installed in the 1960s to attract gullible tourists to the island.
On the volcano Rano Kao available Observation deck. The Orongo ceremonial site is nearby.
Puna Paw- a small volcano near Rano Kao. In the distant past, red stone was mined here, from which “headdresses” were made for the local moai.

Story

Main article: History of Easter Island

Settlement and early history of the island

According to a comparison of glottochronological and radiocarbon estimates, the island was inhabited in 300-400 years (according to other sources - about 900) AD. e. settlers from the East - presumably from the island of Mangareva. The extreme estimate of the time of settlement of the island is 1200 - the moment of forest disappearance, determined by radiocarbon dating. According to legend, the first settlers arrived on the island with large families on two huge pirogues.

There is a hypothesis about the presence of a fleet under the command of the tenth Sapa Inca Tupac Inca Yupanqui on the Pacific Islands (perhaps Easter Island) in the 1480s. According to the Spaniard Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, during the reign of Tupac Inca Yupanqui, the Incas had a fleet of balsa rafts, on which they (perhaps even Tupac Inca Yupanqui personally) reached some islands in the Pacific Ocean. There is also indirect evidence of the presence of the Incas on the island: legends of local residents about a powerful leader named Tupa who arrived from the east; the ruins of Ahu Vinapu, built in the classical style of Inca architecture from carefully fitted basalt blocks of irregular shape; and also the fact that totora, which grows in the volcanic lakes Rano Raraku and Rano Kau, did not appear there until the 14th century, and outside Easter Island it grows only in Lake Titicaca. This hypothesis is confirmed by the DNA of the inhabitants found in the blood of modern Rapa Nui people. South America.

Before the arrival of Europeans, two different peoples lived on the island - the “long-eared” people, who dominated and had a unique culture and writing, built the moai, and the “short-eared”, who occupied a subordinate position. According to recent linguistic studies, the correct translation of the names of the tribes is “Hanau Momoko” - “thin caste” and “Hanau Eepe” - “burly caste”. Subsequently, it turned out to be extremely difficult to restore information about the former culture of Easter Island; only fragmentary information remained.

Geneticists discovered mitochondrial haplogroup B in five fossil samples from Rapa Nui (three subclades B4a1a1m1 and two subclades B4a1a1). The oldest examples date from 1445 to 1624.

Activities of the ancient Rapanui people

Main article: Rapanui people

Currently, Easter is a treeless island with infertile volcanic soil. However, by the time of Polynesian settlement in the 9th-10th centuries, according to palynological studies of soil cores, the island was covered with dense forest cover.

In the past, as now, the slopes of volcanoes were used to grow sweet potatoes and yams.

According to Rapa Nui legends, hau plants ( Triumfeta semitriloba), marikuru ( Sapindus saponaria), makoi ( Thespesia populnea) and sandalwood were brought by King Hotu Matu'a, who sailed to the island from the mysterious homeland of Mara'e Renga (rap. Mara "e Renga). This could really happen, since the Polynesians, settling new lands, brought plant seeds with them , which had important practical significance.The ancient Rapanui people were very well versed in agriculture, plants, and the peculiarities of their cultivation. Therefore, the island could easily feed several thousand people.

The settlers cut down the forest both for economic needs (shipbuilding, housing construction, transportation of moai, etc.) and to free up space for planting agricultural crops. As a result of intensive deforestation, which continued for centuries, the forest was completely destroyed by about 1600. The consequence of this was wind erosion of the soil, which destroyed the fertile layer, a sharp reduction in fish catch due to the lack of forest for boat building, a drop in food production, mass starvation, cannibalism and population decline several times over several decades.

One of the island's problems has always been the shortage of fresh water. There are no deep rivers on Rapa Nui, and water after rains easily seeps through the soil and flows towards the ocean. The Rapanui people built small wells, mixed fresh water with salt water, and sometimes just drank salt water.

In the past, Polynesians, when going in search of new islands, always took with them three animals: a pig, a dog and a chicken. Only chicken was brought to Easter Island - later a symbol of well-being among the ancient Rapanui people.

The rat is not a domestic animal, however, it was also introduced by the first settlers of Easter Island, who considered it a delicacy. After the black rats brought by Hotu Matu'a and his followers, gray rats brought by Europeans appeared on the island.

Motu Nui Island, seen from Orongo

The waters surrounding Easter Island are teeming with fish, especially off the cliffs of Motu Nui Island, where seabirds nest in large numbers. Fish was the favorite food of the ancient Rapanui people, and in the winter months it was even regulated to catch it. On Easter Island, a huge number of fish hooks were used in the past. Some of them were made from human bones, they were called mangai-iwi(rap. mangai ivi), others - made of stone, they were called mangai-kahi(rap. mangai kahi) and was mainly used for catching tuna. Only privileged residents, called tangata-manu(rap. tangata manu). After the death of the owner, they were placed in his grave. The very existence of fishhooks indicates the development of the ancient Rapanui civilization, since the technique of polishing stone is quite complex, as is the achievement of such smooth forms. Fishhooks were often made from enemy bones. According to the beliefs of the Rapanui people, this is how mana was transferred to the fisherman (rap. mana) dead person, that is, his strength.

An ancient fishhook made from a human femur, or mangai ivi, from Easter Island. Consists of two parts connected by a rope

The Rapanui people hunted turtles, which are often mentioned in local legends. They were so highly valued by the Rapanui people that even on the shore they built tupas (rap. tupa), which served as watchtowers.

The ancient Rapanui people did not have many pirogues (the Rapa Nui name is waka, rap. vaka), like other Polynesians who plied the waters of the Pacific Ocean. In addition, the obvious shortage of tall and large trees affected the technology of their production. The Rapanui people had two types of pirogues: without a balancer, which were used when sailing close to the shore, and pirogues with a balancer, which were used when sailing over long distances. By the time the island was discovered by Europeans, due to the lack of large trees, the Rapanui people no longer had swimming equipment capable of covering significant distances; they could only catch fish and sea animals near the shore.

Social relations of the ancient Rapanui people

Ahu Te Pito Kura - the navel of the Earth in the folklore of the Easter Islanders

Main article: Rapanui people

Very little is known about the structure of ancient Rapanui society that existed before the 19th century. Due to the export of the local population to , where they were used as slaves, epidemics due to diseases brought to the island by Europeans, and the adoption of Christianity, Rapa Nui society forgot about the previously existing hierarchical relationships, family and tribal ties.

At the beginning of the 19th century, there were ten tribes, or mat(rap. mata), whose members considered themselves descendants of eponymous ancestors, who, in turn, were descendants of the first king of the island, Hotu Matu'a. According to Rapa Nui legend, after the death of Hotu Matu'a the island was divided between his sons, who gave names to all the Rapa Nui tribes. Gradually new tribes emerged from the existing ones. Thus, the Rapa Nui legend tells about the emergence of tribes raa And chamea who lived in the tribal territory to the world.

The complexity of the island's political geography also lies in the fact that at the time of the discovery of Rapa Nui, the tribes did not live exclusively on their territory. This was explained, first of all, by intertribal marriages, as a result of which children could lay claim to the lands of their father from another tribe or inherit the lands of their mother.

Tribal territory was often divided among descendants of members mata-iti(rap. mata iti), or small clans formed within the tribe. The lands that belonged to them were strips of land stretching from the coast to the center of the island. The ahu on the shore, which was a cemetery and sanctuary, indicated that the territory belonged to a tribe.

In ancient times, tribesmen lived in huge huts. It was a semblance of a tribal community, which was called Eevee(rap. ivi). The role of such extended family is unknown. But if we talk about the Polynesian community as a whole, then we can assume that all members jointly owned the land (that is, it was communal, common land) and were engaged in agriculture together.

In addition to the tribes and clan communities that formed the basis of the social organization of Rapa Nui society, there were larger associations that were political in essence. Ten tribes, or mat(rap. mata) were divided into two warring alliances. The tribes of the west and north-west of the island were usually called people Tu'u is the name of a volcanic peak near Hanga Roa. They were also called Mata Nui. The tribes of the eastern part of the island are called “people of Hotu-iti” in historical legends.

The system of hierarchy that existed in the past on the island has now disappeared. At the head of the hierarchical ladder was ariki-mau(rap. ariki mau), or paramount leader, revered as a deity by local tribes. Below were the priests, or iwi-atua(rap. ivi atua), and local nobility, or ariki-paka(rap. ariki paka). Moreover, the entire tribe of the world belonged to the nobility; this is an exceptional case among the Polynesian peoples. It should be noted that in other tribes, ariki-paka were completely absent.

At the next level of the hierarchical ladder were the warriors, or matato'a(rap. matato "a), who often claimed political power. The lowest position was occupied by kio(rap. kio), or dependent population (most likely, it was formed from members of the defeated tribe). The exact position of artisans in this ladder is unknown, but it is likely that they occupied a fairly high place in Rapa Nui society.

As on other Polynesian islands, the Rapa Nui king lost his title after the birth of his eldest son. In effect, the king held power as regent until his son became able to exercise his functions independently. Coming of age came after marriage, after which the former king lost his functions. The exact duties of the Rapa Nui king are unknown. One of its main functions was on and off.

The ancient Rapanui people were extremely warlike. As soon as hostility began between the tribes, their warriors painted their bodies black and prepared their weapons for battle at night. After the victory, a feast was held at which the victorious warriors ate the meat of the vanquished. The cannibals themselves on the island were called kai-tangata(rap. kai tangata). Cannibalism existed on the island until the Christianization of all its inhabitants.

Europeans on the island

In 1687, the physician Lionel Wafer was on board the ship " Batchelor's Delight", commanded by the pirate Edward Davis. He noticed a vast strip of land, approximately 20°27′ south latitude. Judging by the descriptions left, it is very reminiscent of Easter Island. However, the coordinates are given very inaccurately. It is therefore incorrect to attribute the discovery of the island to Wafer or Davis.

On April 5, 1722, the crew of the main ship " Afrikaanse Galley“The Dutch traveler Jacob Roggeveen noticed land on the horizon - it was Rapa Nui. On the same day, the admiral named the island in honor of the Christian holiday of Easter. At the time of the discovery of the island by Roggeveen, about two to three thousand local residents lived on it.

For as long as 50 years, Europeans forgot about the existence of the island. Mariners continued to search for the mysterious Davis Land, a southern continent that could not be found. Meanwhile, fearing for her American colonies, she decided to annex the territories that lay near them. In 1770, Manuel de Amat y Junient ( Manuel de Amat and Junyent), colonial administrator, sent a ship " San Lorenzo» under the command of Felipe Gonzalez de Haedo ( Felipe Gonzales de Haedo) to the shores of Easter Island to annex it.

After the annexation of Rapa Nui, the island was named after the Spanish King Charles III and received the name San Carlos (after St. Charles, the king's patron saint). The declaration of protectorate was read in the presence of the islanders. In fact, the attempt to annex the island failed, and subsequently forgot about its existence and never again laid claim to it.

English navigator James Cook landed on the island on March 12, 1774; he found the island devastated and noticed that the statues of Easter Island were identical to those found in the province of Manta (), and also compared them with the monuments in. French navigator Jean François La Perouse visited the island at the end of 1787. Russian captain Yuri Lisyansky visited the island on the sloop "Neva" on April 16 - 21, 1804.

"Rurik" at anchorage near Easter Island

In 1816, a Russian ship sailed to the island "Rurik" under the command of Otto Evstafievich Kotzebue, who led the round-the-world sea voyage. On board the ship was the German romantic poet Adelbert Chamisso. However, the Russians failed to land on Rapanui due to the hostility of the Rapanui people.

The year 1862 was a turning point in the history of Rapa Nui. At this time, the economy was booming and was increasingly in need of labor. One of its sources was Easter Island, whose inhabitants became the object of the slave trade in the second half of the 19th century.

On December 12, 1862, 8 Peruvian slave ships landed in Anga Roa Bay. Between 1,000 and 2,000 Rapa Nui were captured, and among the captives was the Rapa Nui king Kamakoi ( Kamakoi) and his son Maurata ( Maurata). In and on the Chincha Islands, the Peruvians sold captives to mining company owners. Due to humiliating conditions, hunger and disease, out of more than 1,000 islanders, about a hundred remained alive. Only thanks to the intervention of the government, as well as the governor of Tahiti, was it possible to stop the Rapanui slave trade. After negotiations with the Peruvian government, an agreement was reached according to which the surviving Rapanui were to be returned back to their homeland. But due to illness, mainly tuberculosis and smallpox, only 15 islanders returned home. The smallpox virus brought along with them ultimately led to a sharp drop in the population on Easter Island, civil wars began, the previous principles of social relations were forgotten, and famine began. As a result, the population dropped to approximately 600 people.

Missionaries on the island and the history of Rapa Nui until the beginning of the 20th century

Christianity and, above all, the missionary of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Eugene Eyraud played a significant role in the life of the Rapa Nui people. Immediately after landing on the island in 1862, the missionary began teaching the Rapa Nui, and within a few months six islanders were reading the catechism in French. However, it was impossible to remain on the sidelines where there was a conflict between the ruling clans. On November 11, 1864, Eyraud was picked up by a schooner sent after him to the island.

After 17 months, Eyraud returned to Rapa Nui with the missionary Hippolyte Roussel and seven Mangarevans. The missionaries made Santa Maria de Rapa Nui their main center, uniting two towns - Anga Roa and Mataveri. The lands around them were purchased from local residents in 1868.

The active conversion of the Rapanui people to Christianity began, although the leaders of the local tribes resisted for a long time. On August 14, 1868, Eugene Eyraud died of tuberculosis. The missionary mission lasted about 5 years and had a positive impact on the inhabitants of the island: the missionaries taught writing (although they already had their own hieroglyphic writing), literacy, fought against theft, murder, polygamy, and contributed to the development Agriculture, breeding crops previously unknown on the island.

In 1868, with the permission of the missionaries, an agent of the trading house Brander Dutroux-Bornier settled on the island and began breeding sheep on Rapa Nui. The heyday of its economic activity dates back to the period after the death of the last legitimate ruler, the son of the paramount chief Maurat, twelve-year-old Gregorio, who died in 1866.

Meanwhile, Rapa Nui's population declined significantly, reaching 111 in 1877.

At the end of the 19th century, many ships moored at Easter Island, the crews of which were mainly interested in art objects of Rapa Nui culture. In 1871, the Russian corvette Vityaz sailed past the island, carrying the Russian traveler N. N. Miklouho-Maclay. However, due to illness, he was unable to go ashore.

The first Chilean ships were seen off Rapa Nui as early as the 1830s, but close trade ties were established only in the 1870s. Having won the Pacific War of 1879-1883, Chile began active colonization of the lands. September 9, 1888 Captain Policarpo Toro Hurtado ( Policarpo Toro Hurtado) landed on the island and announced the annexation of Rapa Nui by Chile. The local church came under the jurisdiction of the city's archbishop. In 1898, Chief Riroroko went to Chile to complain about the abuses of the Chilean authorities, but died a few days later in . Since then, there have been no supreme leaders on Easter Island.

XX century

Since the first quarter of the 20th century, numerous research expeditions to Easter Island began. From March 1914 to August 1915, an expedition of the English explorer C. S. Routledge worked on the island, which paid special attention to the study of stone burial sites ahu and stone statues moai. In 1934-1935 the island was visited by a Franco-Belgian expedition, which included such prominent scientists as A. Metro ( Alfred Métraux) and H. Lavasherry ( Henri Lavacherry).

In the 1950s, the Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl rediscovered Easter Island to the world, including experimentally reproducing, by local residents and without the use of modern technology, cutting down a statue from a mountain, transporting it around the island and installing it on a pedestal. In the book "Aku-aku" Heyerdahl put forward the theory that Easter Island was inhabited by settlers of the Ancient One. In order to test this theory, in 2015, the Norwegian Thorgeir Higraff organized the Kon-Tiki 2 expedition. On two wooden sailing rafts, a design similar to the ancient rafts of the Incas, the participants of this international expedition, among whom were four Russians, set off from Peru to Easter Island on November 7th. On December 19, both rafts, having successfully covered about two thousand nautical miles, reached Easter Island, practically confirming Heyerdahl's theory.

Since 1914, the Chilean government began to appoint governors on the island. At first they were mostly officers, both active and retired. Since 1953, Easter Island has been under the command of the Chilean Navy. Residents of the island at this time were prohibited from leaving Anga Roa or only with written permission, which significantly infringed on the rights of the Rapanui people. It was only in 1956 that living conditions on the island became more favorable and local schoolchildren were allowed to study on the Chilean mainland. Since 1966, free elections began to be held on the island.

Easter Island was visited three times by military dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Cult of “bird-men” (XVI/XVII-XIX centuries)

See also: Rapa Nui mythology

Petroglyph depicting the deity Make-make at the disappeared settlement of Orongo

Around 1680 matato'a, the warriors of Easter Island, established a new cult of the god Make-make, who, according to Rapanui mythology, created man and was also the god of fertility. This is how the cult of bird-men appeared, or tangata-manu(rap. tangata manu). One of the reasons for its occurrence was the decline of the Rapa Nui civilization, largely associated with the deforestation of the island.

Not far from the Rano Kau volcano there was a ceremonial village Orongo, built to worship the god Make-maka. This settlement became a place of worship. Every year, competitions were held between representatives of all Rapa Nui clans, in which participants had to swim to the island of Motu Nui and be the first to find an egg laid by a black tern, or manutara (rap. manutara). Moreover, the participants were subjected to great danger, as these waters were infested with sharks. The winning swimmer became “Birdman of the Year” and was given the right to control the distribution of resources intended for his clan for a period of one year. This tradition continued to exist until 1867.

One of the attractions of the village of Orongo are numerous petroglyphs with images of “bird-men” and the god Make-make (there are about 480 of them).

Rongo-rongo

Fragment of a tablet with the text rongo-rongo

Easter Island is the only island in the Pacific Ocean that has developed its own writing system, Rongorongo. Texts were written using pictograms; the writing method was boustrophedon. Pictograms are one centimeter in size and are represented by various graphic symbols, images of people, body parts, animals, astronomical symbols, houses, boats and so on.

The Rongorongo writing has not yet been deciphered, despite the fact that many linguists have studied this problem. In 1995, linguist Stephen Fisher announced the decipherment of the Rongorongo texts, but his interpretation is disputed by other scholars.

The first to report the existence of tablets with ancient inscriptions on Easter Island was the French missionary Eugene Eyraud in 1864. By that time, the Rapa Nui people no longer knew how (or barely knew how) to read them.

Currently, there are many scientific hypotheses regarding the origin and meaning of Rapa Nui writing. M. Hornbostel, V. Hevesy, R. Heine-Geldern believed that the Easter Island letter came from through China, and then from Easter Island the letter came to Panama. R. Campbell argued that this writing came from the Far East through. Imbelloni and, later, T. Heyerdahl tried to prove the South American Indian origin of both the Rapa Nui writing and the entire culture.

Many experts on Easter Island, including Fischer himself, believe that all 25 tablets with the Rongorongo writing were born after the natives became acquainted with European writing during the landing of the Spaniards on the island in 1770, and are only an imitation of writing, since the signs used are uniform.

Easter Island and the Lost Continent

Easter Island on the world map

Filmography

Beneath Easter Island, National Geographic, 2009
“Mysteries of history. Giants of Easter Island" Mysteries of History. Giants of Easter Island), Prometheus Entertainment, 2010
Rapa Nui (Paradise Lost) - feature film, 1994.

Notes

Rapa Nui // Great Encyclopedia: In 22 volumes (20 volumes and 2 extras) / ed. S. N. Yuzhakova. - St. Petersburg. : Book publishing partnership "Enlightenment", 1900-1909.(Rapanui Island, see Easter Island)
Rapa Nui National Park (Easter Island) (Russian). UNESCO. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
Isla de Pascua duplica su población en veinte años por fuerte migración desde el continente | Plataforma Urbana
UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Rapa Nui National Park. (undefined) . Retrieved April 13, 2007. Archived August 18, 2011.
Easter Island Foundation. Frequently Asked Questions. What's the difference between "Rapa Nui" and "Rapanui"? (undefined) (unavailable link). Retrieved April 13, 2007. Archived September 27, 2007.
About Easter Island. Location. (undefined) (unavailable link)
Easter Island Statue Project. About Easter Island (undefined) (unavailable link). Retrieved April 13, 2007. Archived June 7, 2007.
Great Soviet Encyclopedia. 3rd edition. Article "Easter Island".
When compiling this table, data was used from the site http://islandheritage.org/vg/vg06.html Archived copy dated February 23, 2007 on the Wayback Machine
Editorial board of the journal Science and Life. Mysteries of Easter Island. Discussion continues (Russian). www.nkj.ru. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
The inhabitants of Easter Island ruined it with insatiable consumption (undefined)
Extinct plants - a selection of the most unusual representatives and interesting information about them with photos(Russian) (undefined)?. Pabli (August 28, 2017). Retrieved September 5, 2019.
Easter Island Statue Project. About Easter Island. Fauna. (undefined) (unavailable link). Retrieved April 13, 2007. Archived June 7, 2007.
Easter Island civilization was destroyed by sweet potatoes (undefined) . lenta.ru. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
LILACS-Atención oftalmológica en Isla de Pascua: desarrollo, aspectos epidemiológicos y étnicos; Ophthalmologic care in Easter Island: development, epidemiology and ethnic aspe…
Center for South Pacific Studies. The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia Rapanui (Easter Island) (undefined) (unavailable link). Dr. Grant McCall. Retrieved April 13, 2007. Archived September 27, 2007.
Mail, phones and the Internet (undefined) (unavailable link)
Easter Island Foundation's Visitor Guide to Easter Island. Getting there by plane (undefined) (unavailable link). Retrieved April 9, 2007. Archived September 27, 2007.
BuenoLatina. New air route to Easter Island
Easter Island Foundation's Visitor Guide to Easter Island. The Annual Tapati Festival (undefined) (unavailable link). Retrieved April 12, 2007. Archived September 27, 2007.
Thor Heyerdahl. Aku-Aku. Fragments from the book
Jared Diamond "Collapse" ISBN 978-5-9713-8389-5, page 104
Dumont, Henri J.; Cocquyt, Christine; Fontugne, Michel; Arnold, Maurice; Reyss, Jean-Louis; Bloemendal, Jan; Oldfield, Frank; Steenbergen, Cees L.M.; Korthals, Henk J. & Zeeb, Barbara A.(1998): The end of moai quarrying and its effect on Lake Rano Raraku, Easter Island. Journal of Paleolimnology 20 (4): 409-422. DOI:10.1023/A:1008012720960
Early Americans helped colonize Easter Island
Thor Heyerdahl's theory. Romance and facts...
Lars Fehren-Schmitz et al. Genetic Ancestry of Rapanui before and after European Contact, 2017
J. L. Flenley, Sarah King "Late Quaternary pollen records from Easter Island//Nature 307:47-50
Make-believe suicide (undefined) . lenta.ru. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
Jared Diamond "Collapse" ISBN 978-5-9713-8389-5
7 main secrets of Easter Island | Publications | Around the world (undefined) . www.vokrugsveta.ru. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
“There was no ecocide”: anthropologists rewrote the history of Easter Island - Vesti.Nauka (undefined) . https://nauka.vesti.ru.+ Accessed September 5, 2019.
Thor Heyerdahl "Aku-aku. The Mystery of Easter Island" ISBN 5-17-018067-5, ISBN 5-271-05030-0
Chesnokov A. About people, winds and rafts in the ocean: The story of a journey from South America to Easter Island and back - [b.m.]: Publishing solutions, 2017. - 288 p. - ISBN 978-5-4485-7529-7.
Steven Fischer Rongorongo: The Easter Island Script. Oxford University Press, 1997.

Literature

Kondratov A. M. Giants of Easter Island. - M.: Soviet Artist, 1966. - 192 p. - (Pages of art history). - 73,000 copies.
Krendelev F. P., Kondratov A. M. Silent guardians of secrets (riddles of Easter Island) / Answer. ed. acad. A. P. Okladnikov; Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Siberian Branch, Buryat Branch, Geological Institute. - : The science. Siberian department, 1980. - 208 p. - (Popular science series). - 100,000 copies.
Butinov N. A. On the history of the settlement of Easter Island (based on materials of legends and tablets with writings)// Culture of the peoples of Indonesia and Oceania. Collection XXXIX of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography / Institute of Ethnography. N.N. Miklouho-Maclay of the USSR Academy of Sciences. - L.: Science. Leningr. department, 1984.
Thor Heyerdahl "The Voyage of the Kon-Tiki"
Chesnokov A. About people, winds and rafts in the ocean: The story of a journey from South America to Easter Island and back - [b.m.]: Publishing solutions, 2017. - 288 p. - ISBN 978-5-4485-7529-7.
Diamond Jared Collapse: How and why some societies prosper while others collapse. - M.: Astrel: CORPUS, 2012. - 800 p.

In foreign languages

Dr. Stéphen-Chauvet "Easter Island and its mysteries". Translated by Ann M. Altman. First published in 1935. Translation prepared 2004.
Metraux Alfred "Easter Island: A Stone-Age Civilization of the Pacific"; Oxford University Press, 1957 (book available to subscribers of www.questia.com).
Fischer Steven Roger "Rongorongo: The Easter Island Script History, Traditions, Texts." Clarendon Press: Oxford, England, 1997 (book available to subscribers of www.questia.com).
Routledge Scoresby “The Mystery of Easter Island. The story of an expedition". London, 1919
Thomson, William J. 1891. Te Pito te Henua, or Easter Island. Report of the United States National Museum for the Year Ending June 30, 1889. Annual Reports of the Smithsonian Institution for 1889. 447-552. Washington: Smithsonian Institution.
Dransfield J. 1991 123. Paschalococos disperta J. Dransfield gen. et sp. nov. In G. Zizka Flowering plant of Eastern Island PHF3, wissenschaftliche Berichte, Palmengarten, Frankfurt.

Links

Images of Easter Island, Chile 360° aerial panorama on the AirPano website
Official website of Easter Island (Spanish)
Website of the Anthropological Museum named after Father Sebastian Englert (Spanish)
Easter Island News (Spanish)
Easter Island Foundation
International Rongorongo script server with Easter Island texts (English)
Photos of the island on Flickr
Story about Easter Island on the “Details” website (Russian)

Ocean view

Easter Island has a unique landscape with volcanic craters, lava formations, sparkling blue water, beaches, low hills, cattle farms and many archaeological excavations, and most of them are devoted to the study of Moai figures. They reach a height of 10 m. One of the figures, on Anakena beach, was installed almost in its original position, and a memorial plaque was placed nearby in memory of the visit of Thor Heyerdahl in 1955.

The remaining figures are scattered around the island. Each of them has its own name. Poike is a statue with an open mouth that is very popular among locals. Ahu Tahai is another notable statue, with beautifully shaped eyes and a hair stone on the top of its head. From here you can reach two of the island's many caves - one of which appears to have been the center of religious ceremonies.

History of Easter Island

The sailors, when they first saw the island, were amazed by these colossal stone sculptures lining the shore of the island. What kind of people were they capable of installing multi-ton stone giants? Why did they settle in such a secluded place? Where did the stone from which the sculptures are made come from?

The first settlers on the island were Polynesians in the 5th century. Their culture has survived to this day in the form of giant stone figures. (moai). The carriers of this culture were also called “long-eared” because it was customary for them to stretch their earlobes to their shoulders. In the XIV century. under the leadership of Hotu Matu, the “short-eared” people, adherents of the “bird-man” culture, landed on the island. By the end of the 17th century, they managed to destroy the “long-eared” aborigines, and their culture was lost. Only fragmentary information has been preserved about the ancient culture of Easter Island.

It is generally accepted that the leader of the tribe, on the eve of death, ordered a moai - his own portrait in the form of a bird-man - to be carved into the tuff rock of the Ranu-Raraku volcano. After the death of the leader, the moai were placed on ahu, i.e. in the sanctuary, and his gaze was fixed on the dwellings of the tribe. It was believed that in this way he was able to convey strength and wisdom to the heirs, and at the same time protect them in times of trouble. These days many moai (12 m high, weighing several tons) restored and can be viewed. These are Tahai, Tongariki, Akivi, Hekii and Anakena - the place where Hotu Matu made landfall.

To Orongo (Orongo), a place at the foot of the Ranu-Kau volcano, the first settlers built a sanctuary for the supreme deity Makemake and annually made sacrifices to the bird-man. To do this, the first tern egg, which was considered the incarnation of a deity, was delivered here from the island of Motu Nui, located at a distance of 1 km. All local tribes took part in swimming speed competitions, and the leader of the winning tribe took the place of the bird-man.

At the foot of the Rano Raraku volcano

His head and eyebrows were shaved, his face was covered with black and red paint and he was placed in a special ritual dwelling. Thus, for a year he became the spiritual leader of all the tribes inhabiting the island. The warrior who won the competition, bringing victory to his leader, was not forgotten - he was awarded with all kinds of gifts.

The inhabitants of Easter Island had a written language that has not been fully deciphered. Small wooden tablets are covered with carved writings (gopdo gopdo), preserved to this day. These signs are in every house on the island, but none of the residents could really explain their meaning and purpose. Rongo-rongo is no more than 30-50 cm in size, the designs on them depict animals, birds, plants and astronomical signs. Conventionally, the images can be divided into three themes: the first depict local gods, the second depict the actions of the islanders, including the crimes they committed, and the third are dedicated to the history of internecine wars. The islanders were also excellent portrait carvers, as evidenced by the small church at Hanga Roa. Here, ancient pagan beliefs merge with Christianity: a bird is certainly depicted above the heads of the saints.

According to legend, in 1400 a small handful of Polynesians, led by the leader Hotu Matua, reached desert island in the vast Pacific Ocean. They named it Te-Pito-te-Whenua, "The Navel of the Earth." And Hotu Matua established several holy places along the coast. On the islands where he was from, perhaps the Marquesas, there was a custom of erecting moai, monuments to tribal leaders in the form of monumental stone statues.

The statues - 900 in number when completed - have a height of more than 10 m and a girth of 4.5 m, and in the quarry there are unfinished statues, whose height should have been 22 m! Perhaps they were moved from place to place using thick wooden rollers made from tree trunks that grew in the jungle.

The grandiose figures first sank onto tree trunks, which served either as rollers or sleds. Then they were slowly pushed through the kilometers impenetrable jungle. To cope with such work would require the efforts of more than one hundred people.

In 1722, the first European landed on the island - the Dutch admiral Jacob Roggeveen. On this day the Christian world celebrated Easter, hence the European name Rapa Nui.

Captain James Cook visited Easter Island in 1774 and found that most of the idols had been destroyed, and some were completely broken or showed signs of abuse. The island was practically uninhabited, and the pitiful remnants of the once numerous tribe huddled in fear in some creepy caves. What's happened? The islanders' explanations were abrupt and contradictory. Archeology provided scientists with more coherent information: soon after the departure of the Dutch expedition, a demographic catastrophe occurred on the island - overpopulation and famine. The cult of stone idols led to the deforestation on the island, correspondingly reducing the sources of food. Several years of poor harvests in a row made the situation catastrophic. Bloody civil strife and cannibalism began. When Captain Cook arrived on the island, he counted only 4,000 inhabitants instead of the 20,000 reported by Roggeveen in 1722. But the worst was yet to come. In 1862, Peruvian soldiers landed on the island and took 900 people as slaves. Later, part of the population was sent to Peru as slaves, and the rest also did not stay long on the island. By 1877, only 111 people remained on Easter Island. Later, part of the population was sent to Peru as slaves, and the rest also did not stay long on the island. In 1888, Chile annexed it to its territory. There was no self-government until 1966, when the islanders elected their own president for the first time.

The eastern part of Easter Island, called Poike, was formed 2.5 million years ago as a result of a powerful volcanic eruption. 1 million years later appeared South part islands, Ranu Kau, and 240 thousand years ago - Maunga Terevaka in the northeast, the highest island mountain (509 m).

On Easter Island there is a settlement called Hanga Roa, where most of the population lives. Their existence is provided mainly by tourism. There are various hotels and restaurants here, and the extremely friendly locals will ensure that your stay here is comfortable and memorable.

Since 1964, there has been an airport on Easter Island, which has strengthened ties with the outside world. Every year at least 20,000 tourists visit this mysterious piece of land. For the 3,800 people now living on the island, sheep farming follows the model of the late 19th century. is an important component of the economy.

When to come

The most suitable period for visiting Easter Island is from October to April, during this period the air temperature warms up to 22-30 °C, and the water in the ocean reaches 20-23 °C. From May to September it often rains, the weather is windy and cloudy, but it is still warm and the temperature fluctuates between 17 and 20 °C.

Beaches of Easter Island

The beaches of Easter Island are some of the best in Chile; in the summer the water warms up well, so families with children often come here. Anakena Beach deserves a special recommendation: quiet bay, tall palm trees, sand, which, when wet, acquires a pink tint, silent statues of the formidable moai - all this captivates at first sight and makes you forget about time.

Tapati Rapa Nui Festival

If you find yourself on Easter Island at the end of January, be sure to visit the Tapati Rapa Nui folk festival, which is a competition of dance and musical ensembles. Both island groups and groups from Tahiti participate in the competition.

In addition, a Queen will be elected during the festival. Moreover, not only the contenders themselves, but also their relatives will fight for the title. The winner will be the girl who is the prettiest and whose relatives can catch the most fish and weave the longest cloth.

Visiting attractions

Since 2011 it has been operating on Easter Island new system payment for visiting attractions. Arriving on the island, each tourist will purchase a wrist bracelet, which will give him the right to multiple visits to all the attractions of the island. The exceptions are the Orongo ceremonial center and the Rano Raraku volcano, which can only be visited once. The authorities were forced to take such an unconventional step, since until now a large number of tourists have tried to evade paying for their visit. Now the situation with the “hares” must be resolved radically.

Wristbands can be purchased at Mataveri Airport, are valid for five days and cost $21 for Chilean residents and $50 for foreign tourists. The bracelet can be transferred to another person.

Mysterious moai

When you hear the phrase “Easter Island,” the first thing that appears before your eyes is the rows of huge moai statues, gazing their stern gaze into the distance. The creation and history of these frozen sculptures remained a mystery to scientists for a long time; even today, many aspects continue to remain unclear or controversial.

It is believed that the inhabitants of Easter Island made moai statues in honor of deceased relatives (in another version - deceased leaders) and installed on a special platform, which was called ahu and was nothing more than a burial place. Each clan had its own ahu. The islanders worshiped the moai, who gave them strength and protected their descendants from various disasters. The ritual of moai worship looked like this: a fire was lit in front of the ahu, next to which the worshipers were placed on their haunches, with their faces down, they rhythmically raised and lowered their palms folded together.

Today it is known that the statues were made in a quarry extinct volcano Ranu Raraku, where unfinished moai were discovered, including the largest 21-meter El Gigante. On average, the height of the statues ranges from 3 to 5 m; statues of 10-12 m are less common. On the heads of some statues you can see “caps” made of red rocks from the Puno Pao volcano - pukao. They were supposed to symbolize the typical hairstyle of the islanders.

Much of the scientific debate revolves around how the locals were able to transport these huge statues from the quarry to the ahu platforms. There are currently two main versions. According to one, the statues were transported to their destination by dragging with the help of various wooden rails, stops and other devices. As an argument in favor of this version, its defenders cite the fact that there are virtually no forested areas left on the island; all of them were used for rolling statues. In the mid-50s. XX century Norwegian anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl, together with the descendants of the native “long-eared” tribe, conducted an experiment on carving, transporting and installing a moai statue. The last “long-ears” showed scientists how their ancestors carved statues using stone hammers, then dragged the statue while lying down and, finally, using a simple mechanism consisting of stones and three log-levers, installed it on a platform. When the scientists asked why they didn’t talk about this before, the natives replied that no one had asked them about it before. According to another version (it was put forward by the Czech researcher Pavel Pavel) the statues were moved in a vertical position using cables. This method of transportation created the impression that the statues were “walking.” In 2012, a group of anthropologists successfully proved the validity of this version during an experiment.

Heads and Tails: Easter Island

Data

Name and dimensions: Easter Island is also known as Rapa Nui. Its area is about 162.5 square meters. km.
Location: The island lies at 27° S and 109° W. Politically, it is considered Chilean territory. The nearest inhabited land is Pitcairn Island, more than 2000 km to the west. To Chile 3700 km, to Tahiti - 4000 km.
Uniqueness: Easter Island became famous due to its stone idols made from local volcanic tuff. More than 10 m high, they weigh more than 150 tons.
UNESCO World Heritage List: The island was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995.

Uniqueness easter islands manifests itself in ambiguous opinions about him. That is, on the one hand, people know everything about a given place, but on the other, nothing at the same time. His mysterious statues, formed from stone, are still silent witnesses of an ancient and unknown culture. But who and how could create these monumental rock sculptures?

A little geography. Easter Island is located in the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Tahiti (Fig. 1). The local natives dubbed him Rapa Nui or Rapa Nui. Easter is the most remote island on the globe. The distance to the nearest piece of land in the west is two thousand ninety-two kilometers, and in the east - two thousand nine hundred and seventy-one kilometers. It is formed in the shape of a triangle, with extinct volcanoes on each edge.

The area of the island is about one hundred and sixty square kilometers. Easter Island is recognized as the highest point above sea level. It is located on a huge hill, which was called the East Pacific Rise. In view of this, Thor Heyerdahl wrote that the closest land that local residents see is the Moon.

The capital of the island, as well as its only city, is the city of Hanga Roa. The island has its own flag (Fig. 3) and its own coat of arms (Fig. 4).

Interestingly, Easter Island has/had several names: Waihu, Mata-ki-te-Ragi, San Carlos Island, Rapanui, Teapi, Tekaowhangoaru, Te Pito-o-te-henua, Hititeairagi, Easter Island.

Some legends claim that Easter Island was once part of one big country(many consider it a surviving part of Atlantis). This seems quite plausible, since today at Easter a lot of evidence was discovered confirming these legends: on the island there are roads leading directly to the ocean, a large number of underground tunnels have been dug, originating in local caves and paving the way in an unknown direction, as well as other less significant information and amazing finds.

Interesting data on underwater exploration of the ocean floor near Easter Island is provided by the Australian Howard Tirloren, who arrived here with Cousteau. He said that when they arrived here in 1978, they studied the bottom around the island in sufficient detail. Anyone who has gone down in a submersible will confirm that the mountains under water, even at shallow depths, have a rather unusual appearance: some of them even had holes made that resembled window connectors. And one day Jacques-Yves Cousteau found an unfamiliar deep-sea depression nearby, where he dived for another three days. When he returned, he wanted to explore this depression even more thoroughly. Cousteau was unable to examine anything in full, but according to him, silhouettes of walls can be seen at the bottom, forming something like a section big city. However, due to the people serving in the political police DINA, which Pinochet himself supervised, nothing came of it. According to Tirloren, they were forced to sign non-disclosure documents and were also asked to stop research, so all work was stopped. But what unusual could be in this depression? Why Chilean state security is so afraid of scientists remains a mystery. After the Pinochet regime, this issue was raised again, but to no avail. Thus, this fact does not exclude the assumption that a significant part of Easter Island sank during some kind of disaster.

In 1973–1977, several American oceanographers studied the oceanic depressions near Easter Island, namely near the Sala y Gomez ridge. As a result, they discovered sixty-five underwater peaks and agreed with the hypothesis of the existence of an unknown archipelago, which was in this area tens of thousands of years ago, and then sank into the water. But all subsequent studies were frozen without a compelling reason at the request of the Chilean government. “Island of Mysteries” still does not make it possible to unravel its mystery.

The geophysical information obtained confirms that the coast of the South- East Asia slowly sinks into the ocean. Maybe this subsidence once happened faster and at one moment, like Atlantis, it plunged into the depths of the ocean, including the Pacific with its huge population and distinctive culture, traces of which are still found on Easter Island? And the various inscription tablets and art monuments are nothing more than preserved evidence of an ancient vanished civilization? After all, according to the testimony of the first resident of Easter Island, Eiro, in all buildings there were wooden planks or sticks containing some kind of hieroglyphs and symbols. Basically, these are images of unknown animals, which the natives continue to draw with stones to this day. Each image has its own designation; but in view of the fact that they make such items on very rare occasions, this suggests that these hieroglyphs represent only the remains of ancient writing. That is, the natives are only trying to follow long-standing customs, without trying to find any meaning in it.

MacMillan Brown, in his research, even tried to find out the approximate date of the death of Pacifida. In his opinion, this phenomenon could have occurred between 1687, when the English sailor Davis observed a large ledge in the area of Easter Island, and 1722, when Admiral Roggeveen found nothing in this place except for a small island. The cataclysm was evidenced not only by the unexpected stoppage of work in the quarries at Rano Raraku. Many areas of Easter Island have spacious paved roads that end in the ocean. Does this mean that these paths end deep underwater? Could it be possible to discover new evidence of a lost culture on the seabed?

There is one thing that completely destroys this hypothesis, and this is a question of chronology. At what point did land in the Pacific Ocean begin to sink? Three hundred years ago, or three thousand, or perhaps even three hundred thousand? Or is this figure in the millions? Geological and geophysical data indicate that the deepening of the land and the collapse of the Pacific happened precisely in the ancient period. Fauna and flora of islands such as Galapagos, New Zealand, Fiji, were formed from the mainland, but many centuries ago they were part of one huge continent. This led to the discovery of fossils here that have long since disappeared and are no longer found anywhere on the globe. In the same way, at one point the Australian continent broke away from Asia. Submergence of land at the location of Easter Island has not occurred since that ancient period.

Chubb's geological and oceanographic surveys near Easter confirmed the fact that it had not sunk a millimeter, and the coastline was as stable at the time the monuments were erected as it is today. This argument was repeated by the Swedish expedition, which established the geological stability of the island, which has lasted for at least a million years.

Studying the issue of the origin of the island itself, the author got the impression that many scientists do not set a goal to understand or reveal the truth, but pursue the goal of defending their own point of view, of proving what is beneficial to them. Or, moving in an absolutely impartial search, they come across postulates that are currently imposed on society as official, but at the slightest test they burst at the seams. This forces you to turn your research from the straight path to the thorny straights of the official jungle. It is not difficult to pay attention to the fact that most researchers evaluate available artifacts only from the point of view of the dominance of matter over spirituality, and nothing else.

In the process of studying the topic, a number of questions arose. Why do scientists, when faced with inexplicable archaeological artifacts and at the same time with the same incomprehensible behavior of authorities who openly prohibit research, do not sound the alarm in every possible way and do not try to convey obvious things to the public? Why don’t they build hypotheses that would include all findings and facts, and not just those that are convenient or understandable? How can one sometimes come up with theories without them seeming crude to the public? Are they really not interested in learning about the past of their planet, or do they simply have no free time due to everyday problems? Who really needed to build multi-ton statues on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean, place them around the perimeter of the island facing the ocean, and paint them with ornaments and patterns? What was it about their writing that when the first Europeans who visited the island saw it, they began to hastily eradicate it from the local population, so much so that after forty years practically none of the Rapanui people could not only write, but also read their household signs? One could argue that this was an accident and that the 18th century was a very long time ago, okay, but why aren’t excavations and research being carried out at the state level now? Why is it that if you now approach the statue beyond the fence, the person will face prison? And why did UNESCO prohibit excavations and research into the underground part of the statues? Another curious fact is that almost all modern researchers of the original culture of Easter Island claim that it is impossible to find out its true meaning or decipher the writing, and all that is read are ordinary everyday texts.

A people exterminated over half a century.

Fifty years later, in 1722, the Englishman James Cook and the Frenchman La Perouse visited Easter Island. Since then the situation has changed a lot. Many plains were abandoned. The once plump-cheeked inhabitants languished in poverty, and the statues filled with grandeur were almost all knocked down and lying on the ground. The ancient cult was erased from memory. There are only a few representatives left of the famous “long-eared” race; most likely, their death is associated with their rivals, the “short-eared”, who not only destroyed the tribe, but also their inherent culture. As a result of the events that took place on Easter Island, an entire era ended, which lasted more than one century, and possibly even a millennium. What period it was remains an unsolved mystery for many. Roggeveen and his assistants were unable to find out practically anything about her. Captain Cook, La Perouse and the Spaniards who discovered this island in the second half of the 18th century were not curious about ancient artifacts, they were only looking for new territories that could be developed and used as colonies. By the time European researchers finally became interested in cultural heritage other peoples, on Easter Island there are only silent witnesses of its majestic past - these are huge and breathtaking statues. Now they have been thrown off their foundations; on the edge of the crater there was only an abandoned temple and several strange wooden tablets with unknown hieroglyphs. The number of local residents decreased not only because of the incessant internecine wars. In 1862, slave traders from Peru broke into this place, they captured and took away about nine hundred people, including the last king. The prisoners were sent to extract fertilizers in the Atacama Desert. Later, another three hundred inhabitants of the island were captured and sent to Tahiti for hard labor on the plantations. When a show war began at Easter, organized by Dutroux-Bornier at the request of a French company, the remaining residents and missionaries fled. Subsequently, they moved to the Gambier Archipelago, located in a more westerly direction. Thus, in fifteen years the population of the island decreased from two and a half thousand to one hundred and eleven people! Therefore, those few people who decided to stay no longer remembered anything about the age-old customs of their forefathers.

Interesting information about the inhabitants of the island (Fig. 6). According to E.P. Blavatsky, the multi-colored skin of the local aborigines indicates that different peoples mixed on Easter Island, which include the Lemurians (the third hereditary race) and the Atlanteans (the fourth hereditary race). This information is contained in the Secret Doctrine of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, where Easter Island is mentioned as the habitat of some of the earliest generations of the third race. An unexpected volcanic eruption and uplift of the ocean floor drowned it along with all its monuments and culture. At the same time, the island remained untouched, as proof of the existence of Lemuria. There is another interpretation - the territory of Easter was occupied by several Atlanteans, who, fleeing the cataclysm that occurred in their area, settled in the remaining part of Lemuria, but not for long, since it was subsequently destroyed by a volcanic eruption and collapsing lava. Thus, it becomes clear that the ancestors of the black Lemurians, as well as the red-skinned and light-skinned Atlanteans, mixed in this territory.

A blow that destroyed the culture of an ancient people.

A large number of scholars have put a lot of effort into reconstructing, piece by piece, the culture of the Easter population. But the resulting picture turned out to be incomplete. Researchers were lucky enough to find out that on this small piece of land, measuring only one hundred and eighteen square kilometers, there are two cultural centers:

Rano Raraku Quarry;
Orongo sanctuary on the border of the volcanic mountain Rano Kao.

At the same time, Rano Raraku also has a volcanic crater, on south side of which ancient quarries remain. Huge sacred statues were subsequently carved from porous rocks in them. This mountain still bears the consequences of a terrible civil war. A large number of statues remained unfinished, in various stages of completion. For some, only the first outlines are observed, for others, to be ready, it is enough to work with a chisel several times in order to freely separate them from the rock and move them. The rest are standing or lying around and are already prepared for shipment. One of the most massive finished monuments is Rano Raraku, the top of which is twenty-two meters from the ground. At the base of the volcano there is a huge platform formed from basalt blocks; another similar platform is located below, directly on the coast. Its length is fifty meters. The lower platform once housed as many as fifteen stone idols. However, now all of them, with the exception of one, are lying on the ground. The “short-eared” race, which completely defeated the carriers of the mysterious “long-eared” culture, toppled their huge monuments, breaking the stones from the foundation.

The mass of the largest idols reaches fifty tons. Stone hammers, axes and chisels were used to carve them out, due to the fact that the local residents did not know how to make tools from metal. The most incomprehensible thing is the way in which these statues were transported from the volcano to sites located at its base, as well as at a considerable distance from it. After all, Easter Island did not have a large number of people to perform forced labor. Therefore, one has to think that the stone idols were transported with the help of small groups of local residents, using rigid cables made of reed or plant threads, wooden rollers and levers. Then they were installed vertically with a careful approach to the base of the stone embankment. But this matter did not end there. Now, on an island with virtually no vegetation cover, such monuments catch your eye everywhere. They stand, lie, unfinished or just started. Bloody civil war at the end of the 18th century. caused the downfall of these iconic sculptures. It should be noted that these statues were used not only as funerary monuments, they had a peculiar spiritual purpose, evidence of which was found on the rocky Orongo plateau, stretching at the base of Rano Kao in the southwest side of Easter Island. In that place, not far from the crater of the volcano, there are mysterious buildings without openings for windows, built from bulky stone blocks. And on the rocks near them there are many incomprehensible images minted.

Bird-man.

As ancient legends say, once a year the priests turned to God with a request to choose a new bird-man. The man chosen for this role had to organize a group of several guys and go with them to the stone dwellings and caves of Rano Kao. Once there, they waited (sometimes for months) until the island's seagulls laid their eggs on a rock several hundred feet off the coast. Then the group, floating on the water, headed towards a rock called Motunui. The first person to arrive had to immediately begin searching for the egg, then wash it and bring it safely to the island. Having done this, he, filled with pride, gave the egg to the leader of the tribe, who, from that moment on, acquired the status of a bird-man. Squeezing it in his palm, the head of the tribe danced all over South coast islands until I got to Rano Raraku. In this place the leader had to live for twelve whole months next to the stone inhabitants on Rapa Nui. He lived there completely alone, spending time in prayer and meditation. For the rest of the Rapanui people, this place was forbidden, because the chambers of a respected gentleman settled there. The main deity of this strange religion was Make-Make. Moreover, he bears no resemblance either to the creator God known to us, or to the Creator of the entire Universe. He, his comrade - the ruler of the seagulls and three deities - trustees of eggs and future descendants, demanded human sacrifices. It is possible that once upon a time cannibalism could well have existed on the island.

If you carefully study the legend about the bird-man and compare it with primordial knowledge, a completely clear logical picture emerges. Let us assume that, unlike our civilization, the ancient inhabitants of Easter Island did not have a materialistic perception, but lived with a predominance of spiritual values. Maybe because of this, some Europeans needed to destroy their culture so quickly?

Then it turns out that the election of the next bird-man (the bird is a symbol of the front essence) is nothing more than the choice of the most spiritually developed personality to perform important tasks (controlling climate, weather, seismic activity, perhaps even solving planetary problems). For this purpose, he recruited a group of young men to form a circle of power. In this case, it is logical to assume what they were doing while they were together in the cave - they were studying, intensely engaged in spiritual practices, spiritual self-development, self-discovery. When the group was ready, something like an exam or test was assigned to test their possession of certain properties related to understanding the structure of the world (symbol - the world egg). After which this bird-man began to work with the largest ahu, Rano Raraku. This is confirmed by the symbols painted on many statues; perhaps it is worth taking a closer look at them to study the signs with which the bird-man worked.

The connection between the worship of bird-man and massive stone idols is proven by the images inscribed on the backs of most of the statues. These drawings depict skeletons, ghosts, deities, but most often a bird-man. In 1722, the cult of worship of demigods and huge statues was fully promoted, but after the “short-eared” tribe landed on Rapa Nui, everything changed dramatically. Legends tell of several boats big size, on which there were about three hundred men and, most likely, the same number of women. Scientists believe that they fled the Rapaiti Islands after the outbreak of a terrible civil war or a sizzling drought.

From the AllatRa book:

Anastasia: A few more words about Easter Island. The local population retains beliefs that the ceremonial platforms (“ahu”) on which some stone statues are located are a link between the visible and invisible (otherworldly) worlds, and that the stone statues (“moai”) themselves contain the supernatural power of the ancestors. The latter, according to legend, is supposedly capable of regulating natural phenomena and, accordingly, lead to a favorable outcome - the prosperity of the people...

Rigden: Yes, there is nothing supernatural there. It’s just that once upon a time there lived people who knew how and why certain signs needed to be activated. If their descendants had not lost the knowledge that was given to them, then those now living on that island would have better understood themselves and the elementary connection with other worlds. Usually, for the chronicle, as a way of passing on knowledge and legends to descendants, knowledgeable people applied signs to stone sculptures, and often decorated themselves with corresponding tattoos, which had a special symbolic meaning. For ignorant people, these were drawings that meant absolutely nothing, but inspired respect and fear of someone who, in their opinion, “probably knew something special.” Later, of course, ordinary imitation began.

Anastasia: Yes, but there are no signs on the stone heads and platforms that are located on Easter Island.

Rigden: Who said that these heads have no continuation? Yes, let them dig deeper in those places, then maybe they will find what is hidden from their eyes. But that's not the question. Even if people find something interesting from the signs and symbols, what will they do with it? With the dominance of material thinking and the absence of Knowledge, at best they will create a sensation in the media in order to attract more tourists to the island and earn money. That's all. Knowledge is valuable for a spiritual seeker only when it can be used and improved, and provided spiritual help to other people. (page 443)

Letter and symbols.

It must be said that the culture of the islanders did not die with them. Along with the worship of bird-man and massive idols, the "long-eared" tribe also had writing skills. Therefore, it is natural that the “short-eared” managed to take advantage of them. In the first half of the 19th century, the last of the literate Ariki remained to rule the island; he was called Ngaara, he was white-skinned and short in stature. The ruler accumulated a whole repository of symbolic tablets with hieroglyphs, and also taught at school the features of the sacred letter Rongorongo. Only a select few were allowed to study with him; for the rest of the inhabitants of the island it was a strict ban. They had no right to even touch these signs. And those who were finally allowed to learn the Rongorongo alphabet, which included several hundred characters, faced another test. First of all, they had to learn how to twist rope knots and silhouettes that matched these hieroglyphs. Similar tests are also known in many other parts of the planet.

From the AllatRa book:

“Anastasia: The importance of some signs, in my opinion, is proven by another fact of a kind of “hunt” for them. Take, for example, the story of the ancient writing of Easter Island. In that area, knowledge of signs and symbols, as well as their use in writing, disappeared quite recently, in the middle of the 19th century, when “Western Civilization” burst onto the island in the form of people who sailed on Dutch and Spanish ships. A Catholic missionary who visited there told the world about the unusual writing of the island. The inhabitants of Easter Island kept their records with special signs on wooden tablets, which were in almost every house. But, having revealed the signs of Easter Island to Europeans, this missionary and his followers at the same time did everything to destroy this writing and burn it as a pagan heresy. And what remains now of this very recently existing culture? Several hundred huge sculptures-heads the height of a multi-storey building and weighing from twenty tons, scattered throughout Easter Island, and a couple of dozen tablets - monuments of writing, which were miraculously preserved, as well as a staff and a breast ornament with writing. Moreover, the latter are scattered throughout various museums around the world. It seems that the world priests, having learned about these signs and symbols, did everything to destroy them, even despite the fact that these were already in fact pathetic remnants of once-past knowledge.”

Rigden: Well, the Archons do not sleep, they act. Well, anyone, but they understand what signs are, and even more so, what an activated sign is in work. (page 439)

Among the primitive settlers of Oceania, where established habits and traditions had not lost their true meaning, knot magic became especially widespread. You can read about this in the one hundred and thirteenth sura of the Koran. Its modern interpreters explain this fact as witchcraft. In ancient explanations, on the contrary, it is believed that the mention of knots in the Koran means sorceresses who knit magical figures, then blow on them and cast spells, which helps attract evil. Moreover, in Arabia such things were considered quite common in the pre-Islamic period. But today it is no longer possible to find either a Christian or an Arab who understands anything about “lace witchcraft.” But in those regions where traditional beliefs have not supplanted the worship of deities, as well as ancient and mystical customs, people still knit magical knots, which are often folded into quite complex configurations. This is common among such peoples as:

Eskimos;
Indians of North, Central and South America;
all African peoples;
island tribes of Oceania;
original inhabitants of Australia and East Asia, including Japan.

In most cases, various rope figures are made for fun. But at the same time, you can often hear how the natives, stretching out a tied silhouette from a cord on their fingers, pronounce ancient words with a magical meaning. This kind of witchcraft is especially developed in isolated territories of the Melanesian archipelago, Micronesia, Polynesia, as well as among the American Indians.

At the moment, scientists are familiar with about three and a half thousand similar figures. The material for their manufacture is ordinary rope, the ends of which are tied, or a woven synthetic cord. In ancient times, tribes used animal veins, intestinal fibers, connected or twisted plant threads, and sometimes even long locks of human hair to obtain magical patterns.

Sometimes it happens that a ritual is based on the worship of spirits and mystical creatures. For example, the Eskimos are convinced of the existence of a soul in connected figures and are overly afraid of it, since, in their opinion, it can pose a danger to their lives. If someone plays with the ropes for too long or does this at an unauthorized time, then a characteristic rustling sound is heard in front of the dwelling, and at this moment the light of the lamp inside the tent begins to slowly fade away. And only those in the know understand that this is how the spirit of the connected figures approaches. At one time, he removed the entrails from his dried body and now he himself is engaged in knitting from dehydrated intestines. This process is accompanied by a sound similar to the rustling of paper.

An interesting fact is that the Navajo Indians, who settled in the northwestern United States of America, are convinced that knot tying arose in ancient times with the help of a tribe of spider people, and they subsequently taught this craft to other people. A large number of peoples knit figures from laces in order to present them as gifts to their deities. But the inhabitants of the Gilbert Islands in Micronesia are sure that such silhouettes appeared at the time of the creation of the world.

A gift that gives passage to another world.

As one belief says: “When, at the origin of life, the heavens were cut off from the earth, the demigod rose up and, while the sky gradually “risen,” he tied eleven knots one after another.” They are still familiar on the Gilbert Islands today, and Chita Maude even managed to capture ten of them.

Guiding signs.

It becomes clear why scientists to this day are unable to interpret ancient records that are more symbolic in nature than alphabetical, especially considering that they have only been partially preserved. These symbols, which have succumbed to oblivion, explain the real details and mysteries of a much older culture. Only twenty surviving messages have now been studied. They are in museums in Germany, Belgium, Chile, the USA, Russia, England, and Austria.

If we do not take into account Housen's interpretation, in which there is a decoding of approximately five hundred characters, the meaning of the hieroglyphs rongo-rongo has not yet been revealed. At the same time, they provoke interesting conclusions. Similar writing was common among the natives of northwestern India in the 4th millennium BC. Subsequently, their culture also disappeared. Some historians believe that certain components of this culture, including writing, came to Polynesia sometime in the 2nd millennium BC. Then the “long-eared” tribe spread them to the island of Rapa Nui, where they rested for many centuries, and possibly millennia. This continued until the death of knowledgeable people and priests led to the emergence unsolved mystery for current researchers.

Any figure woven from ropes was assigned a certain melody that had to be memorized, as well as a certain sign-drawing. These hieroglyphs were not letters or phrases, but at the same time they reflected some concepts and important thoughts. They were obtained using a volcanic glass chisel or sharpened with a shark tooth. Each line was done from bottom to top. In this case, the bottom one was drawn from left to right, and the next one was drawn vice versa. In addition, the characters were drawn upside down in each even-numbered line. Scientists gave this unique writing the name boustrophedon. However, in world literature this method is extremely rare. The mysterious writing remained unknown for a long time. Therefore, Europeans were not immediately able to find out about it. The first information about it surfaced only in 1817, when Tepano Housen began studying it in detail. He was quite amazed when he realized that only a small number of literate islanders could read the texts written on the tablets, but at the same time they retold their essence in their own words, using the signs solely as a hint. The information that emerged from the clues was learned by heart, but everyone learned it in their own way.

Here is an interesting point from Wikipedia that clearly shows how the archons, through their people, in this case the priests, uprooted the Rongorongo culture. Thomson was told about an old man named Ure Wa'e Iko. He assured that he understood most signs, since I took reading lessons. He was the main one of the last king from the dynasty of monarchs - Nga'ara, who had the ability to read at least one memorized text and reproduce many songs, but did not know how to write in rongo-rongo. Having learned this, Thomson began to shower the old man with various gifts and coins in the hope that he would tell what was written on the tablets. But Ure Wa'e Iko did not agree, since the Christian priests did not allow him to do this, threatening him with death. After that he ran away. However, Thomson later took photographs of the mysterious tablets and, with great effort, persuaded the old man to reproduce the text written on them. While Ure was talking, Alexander Salmon wrote down all the information under dictation, and a little time later translated it into English.

Mysterious notebook.

One day, Thor Heyerdahl decided to visit a shack on Easter Island. The owner of the hut claimed that he had a certain notebook written by his grandfather, who was aware of the secret of the kohau rongo-rongo. It displays the main hieroglyphs of ancient writing, as well as a decoding of their meaning, indicated in Latin letters. But when the scientist tried to study the notebook, Esteban immediately hid it. Shortly after this event, witnesses claim that they saw him in a small boat sailing towards the island of Tahiti. Most likely, the notebook was also with him. Since then, no one has heard anything about Esteban. Therefore, what happened to the notebook is also not clear.

Once the missionaries noticed the amazing similarity of the writing that existed on Easter Island with hieroglyphs Ancient Egypt. It turned out that one hundred and seventy-five signs of kohau rongorongo are absolutely identical with the outlines of Hindustan. And their similarity with ancient Chinese writing was established by the Austrian archaeologist Robert Teldern in 1951. American and German scientists are convinced that the writing that once existed in Polynesia was miraculously not lost and remained on Easter Island.

The unusual tradition of the natives to achieve drooping earlobes testifies to the reverence for the capabilities of acute hearing, which at one time was the main advantage of the Lemurians. They were the ones who could capture sounds that are absolutely incomprehensible to modern man.

This amazing rumor was also mentioned in the book “Fragments of a Forgotten History.” It was argued that such physical characteristics arose due to the improvement of the spirit. They had access to sounds that we are not able to hear, and this was their happiness. It was in honor of such a gift that previous generations of Lemurians rewarded themselves with drooping earlobes. Thus, they wanted to be like their distant ancestors.

Creation of sculptures to the glory of the gods.

Behrens loved to talk about the rich vegetation of Easter Island, as well as the huge harvests of vegetables and fruits that were harvested every year. When he described the local inhabitants, he wrote the following: “Always cheerful, well-built, excellent runners, friendly, but extremely timid. Almost each of them, having brought gifts, hastily threw them on the ground and immediately ran away as best they could.” As for skin color, it has different shades - among them there are both black and completely white inhabitants, in addition, there are even red-skins, which gives the impression that they are sunburned. Their ears are long and often reach their shoulders. Some have small white bars inserted into their earlobes as decoration.

According to some statements, the amazing abilities of the Rapanui people are the will of the gods. They made them such that they could be responsible for that part of the world to which they were fully deployed. Residents of the island confirmed that their ancestors had long ago been engaged in the construction of the now famous monuments, as they had enormous power. However, this is not currently permitted. Having heard this version, James Cook did not want to believe it and even formulated the key mysteries of the island - how the idols could have arisen and why they do not appear now.

However, the islanders do not support this proposal and talk about bird-people, that is, deities who descended to earth, established themselves and flew back. This version is supported by images of people with wings found on the island.

Thus, Rapa Nui culture has long been exciting the minds of researchers with its unusualness and mystery. Its envoys created unique stone monuments, which testifies to the high level of development of this civilization. All the statues appeared between 1250 and 1500. Their known number to date is eight hundred and eighty-seven idols. At the same time, almost nothing is known about the inhabitants of Easter Island themselves. After all, at the time of its discovery by Europeans in the 18th century, a backward race was discovered that could not make such monuments. When the island was captured by slave traders in the 19th century, the last vestiges of civilization were buried.

In an article published in the journal Antiquity, archaeologists provided a detailed overview of the arrowheads found in large quantities in almost all parts of the island. According to the analysis, they are absolutely unsuitable for military operations. This conclusion is due to the fact that the main purpose of a good weapon is to kill the enemy, and spears from the island can only wound a person, but not fatally. Therefore, most likely, these tips served local residents as tools for cultivating land, food, and applying various tattoos to the body. There is also no evidence of large-scale and bloody wars on the island. So it can be argued that the death of the ancient culture was most likely due to a lack of resources and a transformation of the economic structure. Theoretically, the revival of civilization was very possible, but this was prevented by the arriving Europeans.

Research results.

Having read the materials of various researchers, scientists simply looking for people, I got the impression that there is interest in the island, but a catastrophic lack of true information leads the student either into the jungle of harmonious standard theories, or to the conclusion that we will never know the truth.

So what we found out:

1. There are several types of moai (statues) on the island, some recently placed on pedestals, others scattered around the island, others partially buried in the ground, some very deeply.

2. Also, these statues differ in size and appearance, apparently they were made at different times.

3. At the moment, official science says that the Moai were created approximately 1200-1400 AD. And those that are in the ground up to their shoulders are simply covered with soil over time. How long does it take nature to raise the soil level by 2-3 meters or more? Somehow it doesn't add up.

4. There are several traditions on the island that vaguely resemble the actions of people who had spiritual knowledge about man and the world (whitening of skin, cult of the bird-man).

5. Despite the many mysteries and open opportunities to explore the island, local authorities do not conduct official scientific research. Moreover, such research is taboo, excavations are prohibited, and the same applies to underwater research near the island. Researchers will receive a warning from the police or intelligence services and prison. There are many examples of this. Even what Thor Heyerdahl excavated is buried. It turns out that someone is afraid that people will find out the truth that is stored in the island’s artifacts and handwriting, familiar in many similar places around the world. The work of the archons deserves detailed study so that, by understanding the methods of their influence, which have not changed for centuries, it would be possible to identify them in the everyday life of society and bring them to public review.

6. A very interesting question about writing, which was on the island and was so quickly destroyed with the arrival of Europeans; in less than a century, almost no one remembered how to read and write their traditional signs and symbols. And those who still remembered the letter fled from the researchers like fire. Apparently learned from bitter experience.

7. From the above, it becomes obvious that on the island before the arrival of Europeans there was an ancient culture that stored true knowledge and not only stored it, but also actively used it. For example, the “plasticine” technology of stone processing (when the stone for processing became plastic like plasticine), cutting and transporting multi-ton stone statues, three-layer ahu (platforms), the bottom layer is lined with polygonal masonry, like many other megalithic buildings on different continents. The very fact of creating statues and installing them along the perimeter of the island suggests that there was a need for this (at least for the local population), and as we have already found out, these were knowledgeable spiritual people, this need could be associated with the creation of certain conditions for the whole world, or some part of it. Because "the moai have the power northern winds and are responsible for the side of the world in which they look.” It could be like climatic conditions, and spiritual, perhaps Rigden Djappo will deem it necessary and reveal to us the true purpose of the statues and their sacred meaning.

Thus, even now, many of the mysteries of Easter Island remain unsolved and it is possible that the answers to the questions that interest scientists have already been lost forever. However, while research is ongoing, people do not lose hope of solving the rebus created many centuries ago.

Prepared by: Alex Ermak (Kyiv, Ukraine)

It has the shape of a right triangle, at the corners of which there are inactive volcanoes, which are one of the main natural attractions. The total area of Easter Island is 163.6 km².

Why does Easter Island have this name?

Even without looking at the map, you can guess that the island has a name that is atypical for South America. In fact, throughout its history it had several names: the natives gave it two names at once: “Navel of the Earth” and “Eyes Looking into the Sky”, the Indians - “Rapa Nui”, and James Cook - Waihu. The first to explore Easter Island was the Dutchman Jacobson Roggeveen. He landed on the island in 1722. This happened on Easter Sunday, which gave the name to the “find”. Since then, the official name has become “Easter Island”, and locals still consider it Rapa Nui, so you can often hear this name from Chileans.

Who lives on Easter Island?

The small island is home to only 6 thousand people. Scientists claim that there were once about 15,000 inhabitants here. When Roggeveen discovered the island, more than 10,000 thousand lived on it. The population decline was influenced by hostility between settlements, which led to wars, as well as cannibalism. But the biggest tragedy, which claimed thousands of lives, occurred when Europeans visited Easter Island. Their barbarity once and for all destroyed the civilization that had existed here for centuries. They took most of the population into slavery in Peru, many of whom died of disease. In the end, only 3,000 people remained. But life under European control became unbearable, and the population of Easter Island decreased to 178 people. This is how many natives were on the island when it joined Chile in 1888.

The indigenous inhabitants of Easter Island are considered to be the Rapanui people, or as they are now called the Easter people. Today, only 48% of them remain on the island, some of whom are mestizos with Chileans from the mainland. The remaining 52% are Spaniards.

Climate and weather

The climate on the island is tropical, with an average annual temperature of 21.8 °C. August is the coldest month of the year, and the warmest is January. Tourists should be pleased with the fact that heat is rare here, but there are often winds. It is also interesting that lakes in volcanic craters serve as a source of fresh water. One may wonder why the Chileans of Rapa Nui do not use rainwater? The answer lies in the soil, which has a very soft and loose structure, so water does not linger on the surface, but immediately seeps into the ground. Because of this, you will rarely see puddles on the island, which cannot but please lovers of hiking.

Flora and fauna

The flora and fauna of the island is very sparse; there are only 30 species of plants and almost as many animals on Rapa Nui. The island was once covered with dense forests, but droughts, rodents and the greed of people have left only small green areas of the rich fauna. Today, Easter Island is “rich” with 48 plant species. Swedish scientist Carl Scottsberg found 46 plant species on the island in 1956, but only two were added to them in half a century. Interestingly, there is no island in the world with more sparse flora than Rapa Nui.

As for animals, things are no better with them. Due to Easter Island's isolation from the continent, there is very little fauna here. Of the vertebrate animals, there are only two species of lizards and the European rat; it is believed that they came to the island completely by accident. The people themselves brought the Polynesian rat to the island, but the “indigenous” European rat supplanted it. Realizing that with such a limited fauna it was extremely difficult for people to survive on the island, in 1866 cattle were brought to Rapa Nui - sheep, pigs and horses, which helped in the development of agriculture.

The only insects on Easter Island are worms, snails and a couple of species of spiders. Europeans brought crickets, scorpions and cockroaches, which find life quite difficult here, so their population periodically decreases to a critical minimum.

Attractions

Easter Island has amazing and mysterious attractions in its arsenal. Tourists can begin to admire them already through the airplane window, since the main attraction, the stone sculptures, is visible before landing. Moreover, from the sky it is much easier to assess the scale of work of the natives who made the statues. The indigenous population who lived here 6-9 centuries ago believed that they had supernatural powers, so they were placed throughout the island. Scientists who have studied are confident that people have developed their skills in creating them over several centuries, since the technology is impeccable.

As the plane descends, you can see the unusual landscape of Easter Island, which is covered with many volcanic craters, similar to the surface of the Moon. Such a spectacle cannot leave you indifferent.

An attraction that can be seen even from space is the Rano Kau crater. It is located in the lower left corner of the triangular island. Once on the ground, it is worth visiting the crater, as it is an interesting sight. The crater is filled with water, on the surface of which marine plants float, open areas of water reflect the blue sky. One gets the impression that this is a model of the Earth.

Around Rapa Nui there are several coastal islands that look very picturesque. The most famous among them are Motu Nui and Motu Iti.

Interestingly, the island has preserved many buildings from the time of the Rapanui people, which are unique in their kind. The Easter dwellings were made of soft stone, but they have been well preserved to this day. The work on their restoration was successful and today tourists can see the original dwellings of the natives. It is also interesting to look at the temple Ahu Vinapu with stone sculptures.

One of the most mysterious places is Ahu Akahang a, stone column with four statues. According to legend, this is the tomb of the very first king of the island, Hoto Matua. Therefore, residents of the island often come here, especially the descendants of the Rapanui people. Tourists will probably also understand the significance of the historical figure, since the designated picnic area Anakena Beach is the place where he took his first steps on the island of Hoto Matua.

Tourism on Easter Island

Rich in attractions, Easter Island offers its tourists several types of recreation for every taste. The most popular is sea travel on cruise ships and yachts. Pacific Ocean perfect place to be alone with the water element and admire its power. Also, such walks provide an opportunity to explore the island from the outside while swimming around it. Another way to appreciate the beauty of Rapa Nui is a five-hour plane ride, which allows you to see many of the island's attractions from a low altitude.

Diving enthusiasts will have great fun diving from rocks or yachts into ocean depths. Experienced divers will help you have as much fun as possible.

Secrets of Easter Island

Rapa Nui is woven from secrets, and modern scientists believe that the civilization that existed here was several heads higher than its contemporaries. The first thing that attracted the attention of researchers on Easter Island was the caves. They played the role of quarries, and nearby there were workshops where stone sculptures were created using a unique technology. Even though they are made of soft stone, their shape has been preserved for centuries, and this is a real mystery. After all, scientists have still not been able to restore the technology of creation.

Another interesting and mysterious fact about Easter Island is that ancient maps of Rapa Nui show other territories. They are also accompanied by legends that the earth is slowly sinking under water. These maps indicate that there were many other islands and even a mainland in the Pacific Ocean, where other highly developed peoples and civilizations lived. Having studied the documents found, scientists were able to assume that the Easter Order still exists and keeps secrets that were known only to the Rapanui.

Where is Easter Island?

Easter Island is not difficult to find on the world map; it is located in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean, 3515 km from the coast. Rapa Nui and the nearest inhabited island, Pitcairn, are separated by 2,075 km. Therefore, the easiest way to get to it is to use the services of airlines. Easter Island has one that accepts flights from Santiago and Valparaiso.

This question interests many. This place is exotic and shrouded in a whole heap of legends and beliefs. However, getting there will be very difficult.

Where is Easter Island: coordinates

A small piece of land, annexed by Chile at the beginning of the twentieth century, is located 3,600 km from the South American continent. The nearest island group is 2075 km to the east. It is not difficult to guess that of all the inhabited places on Earth, Easter Island is one of the most remote. The area of this unique monument of Rapani culture is 163.6 km2. It is the small size and very distant location from the mainland that determine the questions about where the Easter Islands are located. By the way, this combination is absolutely incorrect, since there is only one island in that region, and counting small patches of rocky shallows as islands is hardly correct. It is all the more surprising that such a thing, lost far in the waters, sheltered in its small lands the amazing nation of Rapa Nui, which supposedly erected amazing stone sculptures.

Historical reference

Of course, it’s not enough to know where Easter Island is. Its history is no less interesting than its location.

The island arose as is standard for numerous archipelagos and atolls of the largest ocean on the planet: thanks to a volcanic eruption. Constant eruptions and violent winds have made the shores difficult to access for ships to moor: there are only two places where you can set foot on the coast from a liner without first crashing on the rocks.

The first colonists reached this lost piece of land 1,300 years ago. They noticed large palm groves, which were immediately used to build houses and boats. Later, the small civilization had a hard time: the constant attacks of Peruvian pirates decreased every year. In addition, Catholic preachers destroyed the artifacts of the people from Easter Island, which caused irreparable damage to the unique culture of Rapa Nui. Currently, the remains of ancient structures are under the protection of UNESCO.

Moai stone statues

How the Rapa Nui created the famous stone sculptures is still not known. They are blocks that weigh up to 14 tons and can reach 4 meters in height. It is curious that idols can be found everywhere: in places where Easter Island meets the ocean, or in the depths, near mountains and volcanoes. In other words, the Moai cult was of great importance for the population of the era of the construction of stone idols. Presumably, they were built to mark the death of a fellow tribesman: the larger the statue, the more honor the deceased received. However, the question arises: “How did the stone blocks move from one point on the island to another?”

It will most likely be impossible to find the answer to this. However, the unfinished prototypes of future statues found suggest that the idols were first hollowed out of rock, and then transported on logs or cables from one part of the island to another.

How to get there?

It would seem that knowing where Easter Island is, reaching its shores would not be a problem. Unfortunately, it is not. You can try your luck and board one of the liners that set sail from the shores of Australia or South America, heading to conquer the vastness of Oceania, especially since the first inhabitants reached the island on dilapidated boats. However, the most adequate option is to fly by plane.

But not everything is so simple with a flying unit: you can fly to the coveted place only from Chile and Tahiti. For residents of Russia, even Australia is very far away, but this is only a transit point on the way. In total, a flight to the shores famous island It will take several days and will also consume a fair amount of finances. It is also worth remembering that there is only one city on the island, so visiting the UNESCO monuments is the only joy available to tourists.

When to visit?

Despite the remoteness of the place where Easter Island is located, it is a fairly popular tourist region, which has its own periods of influx and decline in the activity of visitors. Considering the fact that this piece of land is located near the equator, it is impossible to encounter snowdrifts here at any time of the year. However, the high season begins in the summer: from January to March. This is followed by a decrease tourist flow, although the temperature conditions are still not very harsh: around 17 degrees in the coldest months. Thus, if you want to enjoy the beauty of Easter Island without the noisy crowds, it is better to come between April and November.

Easter Island is a unique place. Here you can admire the volcano, visible even from space, and unique stone sculptures. In addition, the island's population can tell travelers a lot, as local legends have been passed down from generation to generation. So now we know where the Easter Islands are, and what they, or rather he, are.