T he final remnants of a nearly deceased civilization, the massive stone statues may also be responsible for its creators' downfall. Easter Island provided its inhabitants with food, water, and shelter. But the native Polynesian culture developed in such a way that its actions nearly destroyed it. The people became obsessed with building huge stone heads which they would place on the edge of the island. Strangely, the more than 800 heads face inward, rather than out to sea. Their eyes gaze toward the sky instead of the surrounding villages. Huge quarries were built on the tiny island just 14 miles long and half as wide. The islanders cultivated the practice of ritual mutilation. Men would have their earlobes slit and elongated so they reached their shoulders. Even more odd was the means of selecting a leader. The two candidates would each select a young boy to act as a surrogate. The boys would then have to swim through shark-infested waters to a remote island where they would wait for the first terns of the season. This could take days or even weeks. The boys would then steal the first eggs of the season and swim back through the water to Easter Island. The first boy who returned with an intact egg would be the winner and his master would lead the island.
By the time the Dutch became the island's first European visitors on Easter day, 1722 the civilization was already on its death bed. The forests were gone. There was virtually no food. All activity surrounded building more and more giant stone statues. The lack of resources led to civil war, and the population was decimated. By 1774 one estimate put the number of men at 600 and the number of women at just 30.
Anger and frustration was now being taken out on the statues. Some were toppled, but most were simply ignored as malaise set in. The tallest of the Easter Island statues measures 37 feet. There may be a few that are somewhat taller half buried among thousands of other statues in their quarries, but this is unlikely as the enthusiasm for building the monuments waned in later years. Many of the surviving statues sit atop massive stone platforms called "ahu." The more advanced forms of these platforms actually serve as smooth, regular containers for a cache of rubble within. Maybe this is symbolic of man taking control of his environment. Or maybe the Polynesians just thought it was neat.
The statues are carved from the soft volcanic rock of the Rano Raraku crater.
The more revered statues have hats known as "pukao" made of red scoria, and eyes fashioned from white coral.
The island's original inhabitants called Easter Island Te Pito te Henua or "Bellybutton of the World."
1888 - The island is used as a sheep ranch.
1935 - The island is named a national park.
1952 - The island is used as a naval base.
1960 - The Tongariki platform is destroyed by a tsunami. Fifteen statues weighing 30 tons each are tossed 300 feet inland.
