The Moai of Easter Island |
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All of the moais have been toppled over, erosion, hurricanes etc. Any that are standing now have been set back up. |
This is one still in the carving process |
Another stopped mid-carving |
15 in a row, Tongariki. Good example of the Ahu or platform. |
Same 15 |
Ahu Nau Nau Altar These back up to a beach. There were originally more and they weren't all re-erected. |
Here's the beach behind the last moais. |
Petroglyphs, Ana Kai Tangata Cave |
The view from where the rock paintings are |
The man who climbed down the cliffs, swam to these 3 islands and got the 1st egg of a Sooty Tern is the leader for the next year |
High on the rim of the crater was the ceremonial village of Orongo. Then entrance to these dwellings are very small. |
View from the village are the Birdmen carved in the rocks. |
More of the Birdmen petroglyphs on the mountain |
Volcano crater, Rano Kau |
there are many moais still laying on the ground |
Scientists/archeologists were working where the red hats/hair were quarried. |
Where they were digging. It was very, very hot and they were doused in sunscreen. |
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A piece of obsidion they found while digging. They believed it to be a carving tool. |
Another view of the excavation. You can see how large the red topknots are. Huge! |
This is where the red topknots were quarried. You can see some completed ones scattered about. |
Ahu Akivi moai, the only moai to face the sea |
More of the Ahu Akivi Moai |
And more |
Lots of rocks and the bluest water ever |
This guy climbed down the rocks (like a goat!) and threw a fishing line in the water and caught fish right away. |
The Tongariki at dawn |
Close up of the Tongariki |
Another one |
The next few were taken early in the morning at the quarry. Many of these are half buried. |
The mountain they were carved from is in the background. |
From the quarry you can see the 15 moai at Tongariki |
So many "new" moai. Their features aren't eroded like the others around the island. |
Buried far enough in the ground that it didn't completely topple over |
If you could see what a Moai sees ... you would see this. Notice how long his ears are |