Easter Island
Polynesian statue sanctuary
Easter Island is a remote volcanic island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, a territory of Chile.
It is famous for its nearly one thousand moai—massive stone statues carved by the Rapa Nui people between the 13th and 16th centuries.
The island's isolated location, some 2,300 miles from the South American coast, makes it one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth.
Its native name is Rapa Nui.
Slender Andean coastal nation
- Pacific OceanLargest body of water
- PolynesiaEastern Oceania's island groups
- volcanicOf fiery mountain origin
- remoteDistant or controller
South Pacific · crater lakes · coastline · cliffs · subtropical
Large single-stone structures
- carvingsSculpted decorative shapes
- statuesThree-dimensional sculpted likenesses
- topknotsHair gathered atop head
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
basalt · tuff · quarry · platforms · transportation · craftsmanship · gigantic · petroglyphs
Repeated rhythmic phrases
- wood carvingsSculpted pieces from timber
- ancestor worshipReligious honoring of forebears
- oral traditionsCulture transmitted through speech
- featherworkArt using bird plumes
Of Pacific island peoples
- migrationMovement to new territory
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- deforestationLarge-scale woodland elimination
- collapseSudden structural failure
Kon-Tiki · annexation · slave raids · population decline · settlement · seafaring · navigators · canoes
Something hard to fathom
- secretsConcealed information
- unexplainedNot yet clarified
- legendsTraditional stories or icons
- isolationComplete separation from others
civilization collapse · ancient engineering · remote · undeciphered · theories · lost knowledge
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- radiocarbon datingDetermining age via isotope decay
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
settlements · stone tools · archaeologists · obsidian · fish hooks
Chile
Slender Andean coastal nation
- Pacific OceanLargest body of water
- PolynesiaEastern Oceania's island groups
- volcanicOf fiery mountain origin
remote · South Pacific · crater lakes · coastline · cliffs · subtropical
monoliths
Large single-stone structures
- carvingsSculpted decorative shapes
- statuesThree-dimensional sculpted likenesses
- topknotsHair gathered atop head
ancestors · basalt · tuff · quarry · platforms · transportation · craftsmanship · gigantic · petroglyphs · stone heads
chants
Repeated rhythmic phrases
- wood carvingsSculpted pieces from timber
- ancestor worshipReligious honoring of forebears
- oral traditionsCulture transmitted through speech
Polynesian
Of Pacific island peoples
- migrationMovement to new territory
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- deforestationLarge-scale woodland elimination
collapse · Kon-Tiki · annexation · slave raids · population decline · settlement · seafaring · navigators · canoes · sweet potato
enigma
Something hard to fathom
- secretsConcealed information
- unexplainedNot yet clarified
- legendsTraditional stories or icons
isolation · civilization collapse · ancient engineering · remote · undeciphered · theories · lost knowledge
excavation
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- radiocarbon datingDetermining age via isotope decay
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
prehistoric · settlements · stone tools · archaeologists · obsidian · fish hooks
- ancient sitesPompeii, Stonehenge, pyramids, Colosseum, Giza
- Mysterious IslandsAtlantis, Bermuda Triangle, Avalon, Lemuria, Mu
- ChileSantiago, Valparaiso, Patagonia, Atacama, Andes
- Latin America SitesMachu Picchu, Chichen Itza, Tikal, Cusco, Teotihuacan
- prehistoric sitesStonehenge, Lascaux, Carnac, Altamira, Cro-Magnon
- Remote IslandsSouth Georgia, Saint Helena
Easter Islandmainland
Principal connected territory
central hub · Santiago · New York City · London · Tokyo
Easter IslandRome
Italy's capital city
Athens · Kyoto · Jerusalem · Ancient Egypt