Our planet only reveals its secrets to humanity. How many corners of it still have to be visited and explored? How many amazing discoveries will be made in the foreseeable future? It is very difficult to give an unambiguous answer to all these questions. At almost every step we are all confronted with amazing phenomena and phenomena, which thousands of scientists around the world are trying in vain to explain. Unusual finds, which are scattered around the globe, are just waiting for their "finest hour" to discover their true nature and purpose.
How to get to Easter Island read our article.
Today I propose to go together to one of the most unusual islands - Easter Island, which belongs to the Latin American state of Chile. It was here that amazing giants made of stone - monolithic statues of Moai - first appeared before the discoverers of distant lands. They are officially known as the idols of Easter Island. It is believed that the statues were created by the aborigines who inhabited the island. Stone sculptures date back to 10-15 centuries. In addition, the island is simply "teeming" with interesting finds in the form of ancient caves, grooved alleys that go somewhere into the ocean. All this testifies to the fact that the island was once the center of a nation unknown to archaeologists with unusual traditions and unique customs. Are you interested? Still would!
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History
Not every one of us knows why the island received such an unusual name. The first impression that the name is tied to a famous holiday turns out to be correct. The island was first visited by Europeans in 1722. It was in this year that a ship from Holland under the command of Jacob Roggeven dropped anchor off the coast of a distant Pacific island. Since the overseas lands were discovered just at the time of the celebration of Easter, the island received the corresponding name.
It was here that some of the most impressive man-made phenomena of all civilization were discovered - the stone statues of Moai. Thanks to the stone statues, the island became known all over the world and is rightfully considered one of the main tourist centers of the Southern Hemisphere.
Purpose of statues
Since the statues appeared on the island in ancient times, their size and shape inspired thoughts of extraterrestrial origin. Although it was still possible to establish that the statues were created by local tribes who once inhabited the island. Despite the fact that several centuries have passed since the discovery of the island, scientists have not yet been able to unravel the true purpose of the stone giants. They were also credited with the role of tombstones, and places for worshiping pagan gods, they were even considered as the most real monuments to the famous islanders.
The first descriptions of the Dutch navigator help to form a definite impression of the meaning of the statues. For example, the discoverer noted in his diary that the aborigines made fires and prayed near the statues. But the most surprising thing was that the aborigines were not distinguished by a developed culture and could not boast of certain achievements in construction or some technologies developed even for that time. Accordingly, a completely natural question arose about how these tribes, living according to primitive customs, were able to create such amazing statues.
Numerous researchers have made the most unusual assumptions. Initially, the statues were thought to be made of clay or were brought from the mainland altogether. But soon all these guesses were refuted. The statues turned out to be completely monolithic. Skillful authors created their masterpieces directly from the rubble of rocks using primitive tools.
Only after the famous navigator Cook, who was accompanied by a Polynesian who understands the language of the island's aborigines, visited the island, it became known that the stone sculptures were not at all dedicated to the gods. They were installed in honor of the rulers of the ancient tribes.
How the statues were created
As already mentioned, the statues were hewn out of monolithic fragments of rocky rocks in the quarry of the volcano. The work on creating unique giants began with the face, gradually moving to the sides and arms. All statues are made in the form of long busts without legs. When the Moai were ready, they were transported to the installation site and placed on a stone plinth. But how these multi-ton giants moved from the quarry of the volcano to the stone pedestals over a huge distance is still the main mystery of Easter Island. Just imagine how much force could be required to deliver a 5-meter stone giant, the average weight of which reached 5 tons! And sometimes there were statues more than 10 meters in height and weighing more than 10 tons.
Every time humanity is faced with something inexplicable, a lot of legends are born. It happened this time too. According to local lore, the huge statues were once able to walk. When they reached the island, they lost this amazing ability and stayed here forever. But this is nothing more than a colorful legend. Another legend says that inside each statue were hidden the untold wealth of the Inca people. In pursuit of easy money, hunters for antiquities and "black archaeologists" have destroyed more than one statue. But nothing but disappointment within them awaited.
Is the mystery solved?
Not so long ago, a group of American scientists who studied the ancient giants announced that they came close to solving the Moai statues. Researchers claim that the statues were transported in groups using primitive lifting mechanisms, huge carts, and even large animals. Since the statue was transported in an upright position, from a distance it seemed as if a stone block was moving on its own.
Tourism
From the very moment when tourism began to develop at a crazy pace, when the popularity of this type of outdoor activity and spending time gained immense popularity among lovers of exotic and simply curious citizens, Easter Island has become a real place of excitement. Thousands of people from all over the world come to see the amazing statues made of stone. Each statue is unique and has a distinctive decoration, shape and size. Many of them have bizarre headdresses. By the way, hats differ in color. And, as we found out, they were made elsewhere.
Erected on special pedestals, these silent creations of human hands cause sincere admiration for everyone who is lucky enough to see them with their own eyes. They seem to be peering with their "dead eyes" deep into the island or into the blue ocean. If they could speak, how many interesting stories could they tell about the lives of their creators? How many secrets could be comprehended without tormenting in numerous guesses?
The most popular place to visit is the Tongariki platform. On a stone base, 15 statues of different sizes are located at once. The statues have preserved many traces of civil wars and other destructive events that the island was subjected to. There is information that in 1960 a monstrous tsunami hit the island, which threw stone statues into the interior of the island by 100 meters. Residents managed to recreate the platform on their own.
Finding the platform is not difficult. It is located in close proximity to the Rano Raraku volcano, which became their field.Taking pictures among the giant Moai is the sacred duty of every tourist who has visited the Chilean island. According to "seasoned photo hunters", the best time for photo sessions is sunset and sunrise. In the rays of the sun, the stone giants appear in a different, unusual beauty.
The mere sight of these stone giants evokes awe and respect in front of their creators, makes you think about your life and about the true place in the Universe. The giants of Easter Island are some of the most mysterious creations, the secret of which we all have yet to discover. They came to us from the quarry of the volcano and carry a still unknown mystery of thousands of centuries.
How to get there
Unfortunately, getting to Easter Island is very problematic even today. Although there are two simple ways - air and water - they are still quite costly. The first method will require you to purchase a flight ticket. You can fly from the Chilean capital Santiago. The flight will take at least 5 hours. You can also get to Easter Island by cruise ship or yacht. Many tourist ships sailing off the coast of the island gladly enter the local port, giving their passengers a unique opportunity to touch the long history of the mysterious island.
If you have the opportunity to visit this amazing island at the edge of the world, take it. After all, life is very short and so you want to have time to visit many places, solve centuries-old riddles and personally touch the ancient monuments.
I also recommend visiting the Chile Chico Marble Caves in Chile.
