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Quarry on Easter Island × This website would like to remind you: Your browser (Apple Safari 4) is out of date. Update your browser for more × security, comfort and the best experience on this site. Photo MEDIA SPOTLIGHT Quarry on Easter Island Rapa Nui sculptors made moai For the complete photos with media resources, visit: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/media/quarry-easter-island/ Moai are the enormous "Easter Island heads" that have come to symbolize the ancient traditions of Rapa Nui, the native culture of Easter Island. Now a part of Chile, Easter Island is the most isolated, western point of the Polynesian Triangle of the South Pacific. Rapa Nui civilization flourished on Easter Island between 1250 and 1500. Moai are called "Easter Island heads" for two reasons. First, the statues' heads are disproportionately large: the average head-to-body ratio is 3/5. Second, many moai are buried to their shoulders, making them appear as only heads. Most moai remain at the Rapa Nui quarry, Rano Raraku, shown in the photograph above. Tools and other implements unearthed at Rano Raraku have given archaeologists and anthropologists clues about how moai were carved. Most moai are made of tuff. Tuff is a soft volcanic rock native to Easter Island. (A few moai were carved from basalt and scoria, other volcanic rocks.) Because tuff erodes easily, few of the moai's original designs remain. Moai that were buried retain some original markings, which are similar to Rapa Nui tattoos of the period. Moai are known for their exaggerated brow ridge and nose. However, most moai also had decorated eyes. Rapa Nui sculptors used white coral in the eye sockets, with black obsidian or red scoria for the pupils. All moai were toppled in the 18th century, following a Rapa Nui civil war or other internal conflict. Like the moai above, most moai were deliberately pushed face-down. The hundreds of moai standing on Easter Island today were restored by historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists in the 20th century. QUESTIONS What is Rapa Nui? Rapa Nui are the people and culture native to Easter Island. Rapa Nui civilization is most famous for its giant stone statues, carved between 1250-1500. What is Rano Raraku? Rano Raraku is the main stone quarry on Easter Island. The main stone mined at Rano Raraku is tuff. How were moai decorated? Most moai originally had "tattoos" carved into their torsos. Their eyes were decorated with white coral and either black obsidian or red scoria. Why do you think most moai were pushed face-down during a conflict? 1 of 3 The Rapa Nui left no written records, so anthropologists can't be sure what caused the internal conflict or why the moai were toppled. Some possible reasons may include: • Moai represented tribal ancestors. Pushing them face-down was an insult to the surviving members of that tribe. • Moai represented Rapa Nui deities. By pushing their faces down, the gods did not have to witness the Rapa Nui conflict. • Moai simply fell into disrepair and toppled over. VOCABULARY Term Part of Speech Definition ancient adjective very old. anthropologist noun person who studies cultures and characteristics of communities and civilizations. archaeologist noun person who studies artifacts and lifestyles of ancient cultures. basalt noun type of dark volcanic rock. brow ridge noun prominent bone above the eye. Also called the superciliary ridge and supraorbital ridge. civilization noun complex way of life that developed as humans began to develop urban settlements. civil war noun conflict between groups in the same country or nation. coral noun tiny ocean animal, some of which secrete calcium carbonate to form reefs. culture noun learned behavior of people, including their languages, belief systems, social structures, institutions, and material goods. deliberately adverb on purpose. enormous adjective very large. erode verb to wear away. eye socket noun hole in the skull where the eyeball and its associated tissues are secured. Also called the orbit and eye socket orbital cavity. flourish verb to thrive or be successful. historian noun person who studies events and ideas of the past. implement verb to carry out plans. moai noun very large stone figures carved and displayed on Easter Island. obsidian noun black glass formed as lava cools above ground. Polynesia noun island group in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand, Hawaii, and Easter Island. quarry noun site where stone is mined. Rapa Nui noun people and culture native to Easter Island. Also another name for Easter Island. ratio noun relationship between numbers or numerical values. rock noun natural substance composed of solid mineral matter. scoria noun type of rough, crusty volcanic rock. symbolize verb to represent an object, idea, organization, or geographical region. 2 of 3 tattoo noun permanent ink decoration on skin. tool noun instrument used to help in the performance of a task. tradition noun beliefs, customs, and cultural characteristics handed down from one generation to the next. tuff noun type of rock formed from hardened volcanic ash. unearth verb to dig up. volcanic adjective having to do with volcanoes. © 1996–2015 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved. 3 of 3.
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