Human Beings and Island

Moai statues in Easter Island: A collection of historical relics Culture is very dynamic, and can be defined in various ways, however, the majority of art researchers seem to have reached a consensus that culture comprises the entirety of all behavioral patterns, relations, and belief system that are socially communicated and learned. Cultural artifacts and relics can basically be described as the results of human thinking and efforts. The perspective of the observer or viewer (who are often historians or archaeologists) is often the major defining factor of cultural artifacts.

The interpretation given to the symbolism of a particular object or its use in a specified cultural context is often significantly dependent on the scholars' previous knowledge of the culture in question (Hamilton, 97). This essay seeks to discuss the Moai statues in estate island, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean which falls within the jurisdiction of the Chilean state.

Moai statues in Easter Island: Brief background The most noticeable archaeological relics on Easter Island are her historical monuments which include: The Orongo village with its Rococo style ceremonial precinct, the Moai in the Rano Raraku quarry, the ahu with Moai, the pukao quarry.

The ahu with their Moai, some of which were ruined during the civil wars of the islanders and therefore neglected over a long period of time, are the lone survivors of the numerous ceremonial centers which could be found scattered across the island many years ago (Lipo and Hunt, 158). The massive heads of stone found on the Rapa Nui island (Easter Island) in Chile, have allured and attracted the attention of so many scientists, dreamers, and explorers.

A lot of massive pillars of solid rocks ejected from volcanoes as molten magma serve as unrefutable proof of the dominance of human beings over the environment. These depict the extreme intellect and engineering acumen of human beings. On taking a close look, several weak points can be found on the statues. These include corroded sharp features, many lying in piles of debris, and a proliferation of growths on their surfaces (Hardman, 7). For about half a century, between A.D.

1000 and 1500, many of these statues were made from a soft volcanic rock known as tuff, stone picks were the tools with which these sculptures were carved. The exact number of statues created is quite vague due to the fact that many were most likely kept under accumulated sediments around quarry slopes, estimates however put the number at more than 880 (Bahn, 30). A striking similarity can be observed among the statues despite none of them being totally identical.

Each statue is a representation of a human shape, between the head and the stomach. The hands have long, narrowing fingers which almost reach the stomachs with arms that are pressed closely at the sides. The noses are either pointed or curved in while being quite long, under overarching brows with protruding chins, and long ear lobes. From the accounts of islanders, most Moai are assumed to be of the male gender. As found in an island fable, the Moai trekked to their desire ahu from the quarry.

Despite the absence of documentations about the actual manner of the Moai's locomotion, various ways have been postulated about how they moved which could have applied to "different terrains, at different times" (Charola, 23). One of the ways by which they were transported was in the upright position. Another manner of transportation was on rollers.

These are the most agreed upon methods which provide an explanation for the removal of trees from the island, this is because, the bigger the size of the statues, the higher the amount of required wood leading to consequent extinction of the thick and straight species of trees. The last suggested mode of transportation which is walking by rocking, based on a direct interpretation of this fable is that the statues were rocked sideways using ropes alone (Lipo and Hunt, 158).

A continuous change in the design of the statues occurred as time went by, finally arriving at the conventional, classical Moai an example of which is the one at Ahu Ko te Riku at Tahai, dated from the 12th century (Bahn, 30; Charola, 23). The statues became bigger in size as time went by due to the increasingly competitive nature of the society where the size of the statue was symbolic of the amount of power belonging to a specific tribe.

Traditional Importance An improved intuition, understanding, and a better perspective of the Island's mysteries can be gotten by evaluating the history of her culture which was developed independently of any external influence. This started with the geological development of the island, and the growth of the animal and plant life. The influx and settlement of man on the island, coupled with his social and cultural evolution and relations with the relatively squalid environment for more than a thousand years is the next stage in this history (Charola, 9).

The culture rapidly grew to be advanced enough for the building of monolithic artifacts, which led to an acute ecological disaster. The consequence of this was war between tribes and an upsetting of the societal structure where the initial ancestral cult was swapped for the birdman cult. For about two hundred years, the survival struggle continued leaving the environment terribly deprived. The settlers and their environment were significantly affected by the Europeans' discovery of the island.

Moai statues were sculpted to commemorate dead tribal chiefs and prominent members of the society. Rectangular stone podiums known as ahu were the base on which they were placed, these served as graves for the people who were represented by the statues. The Moais were purposely create with varying attributes so as to maintain the physique of the person they represented.

"With their backs to the sea, the figures may have served as ceremonial protectors to the island inhabitants, who would have been vulnerable to the elements" (Carroll, 26) The statues were bought from a particular association of carvers. The purchasing tribes paid with materials which they had in abundance. These could include: chickens, bananas, sweet potatoes, mats, and tools made from jet-black volcanic glass. Larger statues were more expensive since they depicted more greatness for the tribe, and it proved that the tribesmen were smart and assiduous enough to pay.

The carvers waited until the statue reached its destination before carving eyeholes. The long hair of the departed was in later years represented by a pukao of red scoria stone form the quarry Puna Pau, long hair indicated mana; which was a type of mental power. The final touch which would make the moai an 'arina ora' (living face) was given by Eyes of.