Introducing Rapa Nui
Easter Island or Rapa Nui is one of the most isolated inhabited islands on the planet. Separated by 3,700 kilometers from the coast of Chile, the island is known around the world for the unique architecture and monumental stone sculptures created by the polynesian settlers. Built primarily from the 10th to the 17th centuries, these large stone figures were carved from volcanic stone and were shaped to represent important individuals. With an average height of 13 feet and weighing 14 tons the statues were transported throughout the island and positioned upon large stone ceremonial platforms known as ahus.
Historic Context
Research suggests that the island was settled by polynesian seafarers nearly a thousand years ago. For hundreds of years the people of Rapa Nui flourished, practicing agriculture and building temple-like platforms known as ahu that featured large anthropomorphic stone figures known as moai. The ahu and associated moai are sacred to the Rapa Nui population, since they represent a source of "mana" or supernatural power and are associated with ancestors. Following European contact in the 1700’s there are a number of documented episodes of disease outbreaks, slave raids and other conflicts, however the island’s inhabitants persevered, drawing on their long history of adaptation to succeed in this challenging environment. Evidence of this resilience can be found in the language, cultural practices and art that can still be found today in Rapa Nui.
Rapa Nui Today
In 1995 Easter Island was named a World Heritage site and much of the island’s unique cultural heritage is now protected within a National Park. Although a territory of Chile, over half of the island's population identify as Rapanui, descendants of the original Polynesian settlers to the island. The island's rich cultural heritage including the monumental ahu and moai are central to the identity of the Rapanui people as well as the island's tourist economy. Many sites are considered sacred or spiritually important because of their connection to ancestors. Today, climate change is one of the biggest threats to the island's heritage as rising sea levels and more intense storms threaten sites found along the coast. The local indigenous population is leading the charge on preserving this cultural heritage, maintaining their connection to their ancestors and the integrity of Rapa Nui's story that has captivated people throughout the world.
Ahu Ature Huki
Located in Anakena Beach on the northern part of the island, Ahu Ature Huki features a single large moai located on a platform or ahu. Anakena Beach was originally called Hanjaru o te ‘araki, which means “Land of the King” as it is believed that this is where the first settler of Rapa Nui, King Hotu Matu’a and his people landed in three large canoes. The lone moai was the first moai to be erected on the island In modern times and was hoisted back onto the Ahu in 1955 by a group of local people during Thor Heyerdahl's Norwegian expedition. The site is also part of the archaeological complex of Ahu Nau Nau, the adjacent ahu which features 7 very well preserved moai.
Expedition Overview
Since 2017 CyArk has collaborated with the managers of Rapa Nui National Park, Ma’u Henua and the Chilean National Monuments Commission (Secretaría Técnica de Patrimonio Rapa Nui) for the emergency documentation of priority monuments within the park. Several of the ahus are being affected by erosion especially following severe weather events and our work is being used to inform the ongoing conservation and management of these sites.
60 Seconds on Site: Rapa NuiCyArk
Two Moai Looking Out Over Rapa Nui (2019-01) by CyArkCyArk
Additional Resources
For more information on this site, its history and additional resources relating to CyArk’s work please visit
CyArk Rapa Nui Resources.
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This project was made possible by our partners and sponsors ICOMOS, U.S. Embassy in Chile, and Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales de Chile
