On Easter Day in 1722, Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen and his crew stumbled upon an uncharted island in the vast expanse of the southern Pacific Ocean. Overwhelmed with a sense of discovery, they named it Easter Island in celebration of the day.
The following morning, as Roggeveen was still resting, one of his assistants burst into his quarters, his voice trembling with excitement. He reported an astonishing discovery on the island. Intrigued, Roggeveen quickly followed the assistant to the site, where he was met with a scene that left him nearly speechless.
The island’s indigenous people were engaged in a solemn religious ceremony, lighting bonfires, prostrating themselves on the ground, and whispering prayers to towering stone statues.
These monumental figures, standing at an impressive 9 meters tall, were intricately carved from giant stones into human heads with elongated ears, short foreheads, prominent noses, and stern, awe-inspiring expressions. The sheer number of these statues was staggering: over 40 at this location alone, and as many as 300 on the slopes of Rano Raraku nearby! Some stood in clusters, while others were spaced about 45 meters apart, each weighing more than 30 tons.
The stone statues were crafted at a volcanic quarry on the southeastern end of the island, where partially carved figures can still be seen today. Once completed, the statues were placed on platforms, beneath which the deceased were buried. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the earliest platform with statues was constructed around AD 90. The purpose behind these colossal creations remains a mystery, adding to the island’s enigmatic allure.
Easter Island, now part of Chilean territory, is situated in the South Pacific, 3,600 kilometers from the Chilean coast. The locals refer to it as “Rapa Nui,” which translates to “the navel of the world.” Since the Dutch explorers landed on the island on Easter Day in 1722, it has also been known as “Easter Island.”
The stone carvings in Viracocha, Peru, bear a striking resemblance to those on Easter Island. The “Moai” statues, built to such grand scales, each exude a sense of solemnity and awe.
Upon landing on Easter Island, the explorers discovered numerous wooden boards near the stone statues, inscribed with peculiar pictographic writing. This script was unlike any other, differing from ancient Chinese, Indian, and Egyptian pictographs. Its symbols were more abstract, with the thickness and depth of the strokes seemingly conveying specific meanings. The overall arrangement of the writing appeared rhythmic, almost wave-like.
The birdman worship on Easter Island shares similarities with the paintings and wood carvings found on the Solomon Islands. The bird “people” depicted in these artworks also feature bird heads and human bodies, with large, round eyes and long, curved beaks, creating a fascinating link between these distant cultures.
The colossal stone statues that dot Easter Island instantly evoke memories of the enigmatic Tiwanaku in the Andes Mountains. Yet, the locals of this remote island affectionately call their homeland “Te Pito o Te Henua,” a poetic name that translates to “the navel of the world.”
