Moai, Easter Island. Mysterious journey to Easter Island

Numerous foreign travelers to the island are attracted not by the modest beauty of the local beaches, but by the mysteries and secrets associated with moai - strange, mystical-looking stone statues. They can be found on a fairly long coast and even inside the island. It is believed that statues were created on Rano-Raraku over 500 years. The manufacture of moai began on the arrival of the first people on the island, but the bulk of the statues known today were carved between 1000 and 1650.

Easter Island is of volcanic origin and almost all of the coast is lava here, and where there were large lava flows there are often formed lava caves. The crater of the volcano Rano Raraku is located directly opposite Ahu Tongariki. The "factory" for making idols is located on the side of one of the volcanoes. There are just under 400 unfinished sculptures in varying degrees of readiness. Less than 4,000 people live here, and there are no hazardous industries. The water here is the cleanest and most transparent in the world.

Easter Island is considered one of the most mysterious places on our planet, because more than 800 huge statues called moai were found on it. It is believed that most of them were built between 1250 and 1500 by the ancient civilization of Rapanui, but historians still do not know what they were intended for. There is a reasonable assumption that the statues represented the Polynesian gods and leaders, so the locals still believe that they contain the supernatural power of their ancestors. The ancient inhabitants of the island could believe that the monuments erected by them help preserve the fertility of the earth, and this assumption has recently been proved by archaeologists from the United States, New Zealand and Chile.

Scientists carefully studied two statues near the 150-meter volcano Rano Raraku, located in the eastern part of Easter Island. It is believed that 95% of the statues erected on the island were created precisely from its volcanic tuff, which was almost the main building material of the ancient tribe. However, a study of the soil near the volcano also proved that this place served as a fertile agricultural center. This is at least evidenced by the high concentration of phosphorus and calcium in the soil, which are very important for the growth of agricultural plants. Analysis of land samples showed that at the foot of the volcano, an ancient civilization grew bananas. Traces of sweet potato, which for the inhabitants of the island is a kind of potato, were also found in the soil. Another plant grown in these parts is colocasia, which is an ingredient in the Hawaiian Laulau dish with pork.

The island has the shape of a rectangular triangle with a variety of volcanoes, the largest of which are sheltered at its tops. For any European who turned out to be on Easter Island, a real immersion in the events of the past far from us becomes an acquaintance with a unique Orongo - a preserved rural settlement of an ancient tribe.

Here, travelers can not only get acquainted with the old music and dance work of rapa nui - an extraordinary people who have inhabited this region for a long time, but also take part in a fun competition. On an island lost in the Pacific Ocean, more than a hundred hotels are waiting for tourists. Here you can stay in a traditional warehouse hotel, as well as in a hotel built and decorated in accordance with local traditions.

Most of the local people live here just as life, which many tourists in their dreams describe: paradise island, ocean, money daily arrive by plane themselves, you need to complete a couple of houses on the site, collect money from tourists who come in large numbers and live in their own pleasure. Travel to Chile. The Latin American state of Chile is considered one of the most interesting areas for recreation and tourism. Not every country can boast such a variety of entertainment that a tourist can choose.

Here is an incomplete list of activities for which tourists go to Chile: skiing in summer, solving the riddles of Easter Island all year round, enjoying amazing wine and incredible beauty. Moreover, Chile welcomes guests with excellent opportunities for trekking and mountaineering and ski resorts with modern hotels and quality service (in which Chile is ahead of all of Latin America). But the coolest - in Chile, you can ride from June to October, when there is a low season in Europe.

According to scientists, the soil near the volcano Rano Raraku could be the most fertile on the island. Not surprisingly, the indigenous people wanted to maintain this fertility for as long as possible. If they really believed that the statues of moai contained the supernatural power of gods, leaders and ancestors, they could well place them near the landing sites of plants important to their life. However, apparently, the divine power of the ancient people of Rapanui did not help. Representatives of this civilization and builders of mysterious statues disappeared even before Easter Island was discovered by Europeans. The reason for the fall of civilization is the fact that it cut down almost all the forests and exhausted the entire supply of resources. In addition, several tribes inhabited the island and wars broke out between them for resources.

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