one of the bosses at Ahu Tongariki, you can still see his hands
a large moai head and his red pukao hat at Ahu Akahanga
the rocks at Orongo all have petroglyphs depicting Birdmen and the god Make Make
the ritual complex at Orongo, the center for the birdman Culture
inside the cave there are murals related to the birdman Culture
the moai at Ahu Nau Nau near Anakena Beach are very well preserved
inside the Rano Raraku volcano is a lake and more moai
this is Tukuturi, the only kneeling moai
some of the moai at the slope of the Rano Raraku quarry. 60% of the body is below ground
the platform at Ahu Tahiri bears an eerie resemblance to the way the Inca build their walls
Easter Island's main features are the large statues, called moai erected on ceremonial platforms called Ahu. Almost all
moai have their back turned to the sea.
The moais were carved from the tuffstone quarry at Rano Ranaku, their reddish headdresses
came from the
Puna Pau quarry.
For unknown reasons by mid 19th century the locals had toppled all moai. In the same period
the competitive Birdman Culture emerged with
Orongo as its ceremonial center.
There are dozens of platforms scattered
around the rugged shoreline, several have been excavated and restored.
The most imposing one is
Ahu Tongariki, its platform
with 15 massive moais is well over 200 meters long.
The tallest moai, called Paro, is the one at
Te Pito Kura.
With a height of 10 meters and a weight of 70 tons, Paro still lies with his nose buried in the ground, his neck broken. But
once he to will be repaired and ressurected in full glory.
There are some 500 unfinished moais at the
Rano Raraku quarry, the
best place for signature pictures of Easter Island..
Ahu Tahai: moai Ko Te Riku has his eyes back and proudly wears the pukao on his head
these stairs lead to the "cannibal cave" at Ana Kai Tangata
the craterlake of the Rano Kau volcano
the imposing moai of Ahu Tongariki
the 7 moai of Ahu Akivi are sometimes called the seven explorers of the first king Hotu Matu’a
a stargazer at One Mahiki