Easter Island

For numerous decades, the enigma of Easter Island, a remote volcanic landmass situated in the Pacific Ocean, has captivated the minds of people. However, our planet is home to thousands of such isolated islands. What sets Easter Island apart is not the mystery concealed on the island itself, but rather the colossal stone statues that cover it. The creators of these world-renowned stone heads remain a mystery. Did they serve a specific purpose? Where did their creators originate from, and where did they disappear to? Fortunately, the answer to these questions appears to be within reach. Watch this video to satisfy your curiosity and learn all the truths about Easter Island. Remember to give us a thumbs up, as we strive to make your life brighter.

Regarding the island itself, it is known as Rapanui, a name given to it by its first inhabitants. It is a territory of Chile and is located in the southern Pacific Ocean, making it one of the most distant places on the world map. It is situated 1,200 miles away from its closest neighbor, Pitcairn, and 2,300 miles away from Chile, its governing country. The only means of transportation to the island is by plane, which takes approximately five hours from Santiago, Chile. The island covers an area of just 63 square miles, yet it is home to 887 enormous stone statues.

The statues, known as Moai, were carved between the 13th and 15th centuries. They are easily recognizable due to their peculiar faces, which feature long noses, wide chins, rectangular ears, heavy brows, and deeply set eyes. The nostrils of the statues curl in a manner similar to fishhooks. Initially, people believed that the statues were only comprised of their heads, but it was later discovered that they had full bodies hidden underground. The statues are incredibly tall, with the largest one standing at 33 feet tall and weighing 90 US tonnes. However, the tallest statue ever unearthed on the island was incomplete, yet scientific calculations estimate that it would have reached 70 feet in height and weighed approximately 297 US tonnes. The heads of the statues visible from the first site make up 3/8 of each statue's size, while the arms were carved against the bodies, resting in different positions. Most of the statues, 834 out of 887, were carved from a material called tuff, which is compressed volcanic ash. Curiously, all the statues, except for one group, face inland, with their backs turned to the ocean. This may be due to the belief that the statues were protectors of the villagers, overlooking the settlement. The only statues that do not fit this pattern can be found at Ahu Akivi, a sacred place for the people of Rapa Nui. One unique statue on the island is the only one found in a kneeling position, known as Tukuturi. Scientists believe that the statue depicts an ancient singer, with his position resembling the one people took at the festival of Rui. The head of the statue is lifted quite high, and a beard is visible. Tukuturi looks much more human-like than the other statues, with its smaller size and unusual material, red Puna Pau stone, making it stand out among the rest.

The mystery surrounding how the Rapa Nui people moved the statues, which weigh a tremendous amount, around the island has challenged researchers for years. When Europeans first arrived on the island in 1722, they found a small local population of between one and a half and three thousand people. This raised the question of how the hundreds of statues on the island could correlate with such a small population. Numerous theories have been proposed, including the belief that the statues were created and moved by aliens. However, this theory has been debunked, as the stone used to build the statues originates from the island itself, specifically from an extinct volcano situated in the northeast of Easter Island. In the 1980s, researchers decided to recreate a statue using only tools that would have been available to the Aborigines. It seemed impossible to move the statue, but an American archaeologist succeeded in moving a ten US ton copy. Decades later, another group of American scientists proved that the Islanders could tie ropes and circle the huge statues, moving them with a walking motion. They backed up their theory with practice, moving a full-sized replica for 330 feet using this method. This idea can explain why Rapa Nui folklore states that the statues were walking with the help of magic, as it explains the way the statues were transported to their designated places.

The remaining question is how a handful of inhabitants created such magnificent and numerous monuments. A recent study has been conducted to specify the maximum number of inhabitants during the island's heyday. The results were unexpected, as it turned out that as many as seventeen and a half thousand people could comfortably live on the island. At least