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Easter Islanders raising a Moai into place (from Aku-Aku) |
hanford_lemoore
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Mar 23, 2002
Posts: 1864
From: Tiki Central
|  Posted: 2005-09-05 01:55 am Permalink
For my Savage Renewal: Archaeology Topic I thought I'd share some amazing photos of an Easter Island Moai Raising that took place during Thor Heyerdahl's (first?) visit to Rapa Nui. These photos come straight out of my hardcover American edition of Aku-Aku by Thor Heyerdahl.
In the book, Thor convinces the Mayor of Rapa Nui to teach him his ancestor's secret of moving and raising the giant Moai statues into place. Over eighteen days, the mayor and his crew show Thor how it was done.
These images are very cool -- real Easter Island natives raising a Moai into place. There's more photos in the book and if people like these I can scan more.
(Sorry for the scan errors)
**Below each photo I've posted the actual captions from the book.**
 First three wooden poles lift the statue by fractions of an inch as the mayor shoves small stones beneath it. As more stones are added, their size increases.
As the work progresses, the statue is lifted into the on an ever-growing tower of stones.
With a heap of stones under it's stomach the figure moves upward and backwards until it stands in its old place on the wall. Twelve men with poles and stones set it up in eighteen days. On the last day the giant is held by ropes to prevent it from toppling off the high wall when it is tilted into the standing position.
A landmark visible far out to sea stood at Anakena when the giant was restored to his former place on the king's old site, behind our camp.
After excavating the ahu at Vinapu, Bill discovered this particular wall had been built by stone masons of the first Easter Island epoch. Later additions were done by less refined techniques. The expedition's archaeologists discovered three distinct epochs in the history of the island.
[ This Message was edited by: hanford_lemoore 2005-09-05 01:59 ]
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hewey
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2004
Posts: 4270
From: Sydney, Australia
| Posted: 2005-09-05 06:08 am Permalink
Cool pics! Ive seen diagrams, but those photos are so much cooler. Pitty the place looks like a desert 
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harro
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Sep 05, 2005
Posts: 672
From: Australia / Argentina
| Posted: 2005-09-05 06:38 am Permalink
hey there..
how ironic - i'm actually halfway thru reading this book and have just passed the section which you have quoted!
it really is an intriguing read - i encourage anyone who hasn't read it already to do so!
as a result i hope to visit Rapa-nui on my way to south america next year... have any TC'ers visited Easter island recently?
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christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3616
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
| Posted: 2005-09-05 09:22 am Permalink
Mahalo, Hanford, for such a complete photoessay.
I need to get that book.
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christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3616
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
| Posted: 2005-09-05 09:25 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2005-09-05 06:38, harro wrote:
as a result i hope to visit Rapa-nui on my way to south america next year... have any TC'ers visited Easter island recently?
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Tikibars has, twice, and previously posted his link:
If you go to my web site at http://www.tydirium.net you will find a 42-page account of my trip to Easter Island in May of 2000. I believe I can say without fear of dispute that this is the most detailed first-person portrait of Rapa Nui that a TC'er will be able to provide for you
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tikibars
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 11, 2002
Posts: 2014
From: Aku Hall, Chicago
| Posted: 2005-09-05 11:59 am Permalink
Thankks for posting the link to my site, Christiki.
That travelogue is from my 2000 trip.
Here are postings and pics right here on TC from the 2004 trip that Dangergirl and I took:
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=11815&forum=1&hilite=iorana
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Gigantalope
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 01, 2004
Posts: 913
From: Shinola, California
| Posted: 2005-09-05 12:44 pm Permalink
About 15 years ago some students from the university of Prague had a theory that the heads were moved with tubors which acted as a babit bearing rather than the traditional theory of the logs as rollers.
To prove it they made a cement head of roughly the same weight and dimensions and pushed it around town using potatoes. It only took a few people to move the head with the spuds...it was amazing (and quite funny)
Great photos!
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harro
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Sep 05, 2005
Posts: 672
From: Australia / Argentina
| Posted: 2005-09-05 8:05 pm Permalink
thankyou christiki, dangergirl and tikibars for the links - i knew there would be some very informative and helpful people here!
tikibars i have read your thread from your 2004 trip and look forward to reading the EPIC that is the 42pg travelogue from your 2000 trip (might need a spare day or two and a few mugs of coffee for that one!).
the photos and info even on a quick scan are fantastic!
look forward to reading it more in detail when i begin to organise this trip soon.
cheers!
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Palama Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 01, 2005
Posts: 349
From: Lake Wales, Florida
| Posted: 2005-09-06 10:50 am Permalink
Great stuff, Hanford! Thanks!
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saxotica
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 03, 2005
Posts: 213 | Posted: 2005-09-06 3:28 pm Permalink
I have a question; maybe somebody knows the answer.If the Europeans found Easter Island deserted, how are there native Rapa Nuians?
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saxotica
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 03, 2005
Posts: 213 | Posted: 2005-09-06 3:29 pm Permalink
Oops! I forgot to add...very cool pictures.Thanks for the post. I am very much into ancient stone working techniques.
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christiki295
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 09, 2003
Posts: 3616
From: LA-2547 mls east Hawaii &5500 Easter Is
| Posted: 2005-09-06 6:21 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2005-09-06 15:28, saxotica wrote:
I have a question; maybe somebody knows the answer.If the Europeans found Easter Island deserted, how are there native Rapa Nuians?
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These links link somewhat address that issue:
http://www.apj.co.uk/rapanui_primer/appendix_history_overview.asp
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/24/042.html
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=7445&forum=1&hilite=Easter%20Island%20taxi
In a nutshell, the current Rapa Nui are intermingled, somewhat like many Hawaiians. Unfortuntately, the original Rapa Nui were enlaved and shipped off, wholesale, to work on the Guano farms in Tahiti.
Missionaries objected and were successful in having a significant number returned, only to inflict disease on the remaining population.
Consequently, it would be difficult to draw a direct link from today's inhabitants to the moai-builders.
However, the silver lining is that the Rapa Nui, during moai-builders were very clannish and did not intermarry much outside of the various clans, according to Kathleen Rutlidge, the grandmother of Easter Island anthropology.
Therefore, the "new blood" may actually enable Rapa Nui to persevere, even if the "pure" aboriginal blood-lines no longer exist, whereas the blood-lines of the Rapa Nui would have weakened to so much intermingling.
[ This Message was edited by: christiki295 2005-09-06 18:23 ]
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Zoltan
Member
Joined: Dec 31, 2005
Posts: 1
From: Poland
| Posted: 2005-12-31 6:18 pm Permalink
Hanford can you put more pictures?
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doctiki
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Feb 07, 2004
Posts: 55 | Posted: 2006-01-01 10:07 am Permalink
Hanford ,Thank you for this post, I missed last time around. More picture, please. Doc Tiki
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MrBaliHai
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 01, 2002
Posts: 775 | Posted: 2006-07-01 2:04 pm Permalink
Thought I'd give this worthy old thread a bounce.
I picked up a hardcover copy of Aku-Aku last week in Las Vegas, and scanned most of the color pages from it. I've put the images in a gallery on my website. Feel free to stop by and have a look.
Enjoy!
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[ This Message was edited by: MrBaliHai 2006-07-02 07:33 ]
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