South America Feb 2020

Our first stop was Ahu Akivi (#4) While all but 30 Moai are located on the coast, Ahu Akivi is located 2.6 km inland Constructed in the 15th-16th centuries, 150 years before European contact, this territory was associated with the Miru clan, one of the most powerful and high ranking tribes on the island

Unlike other Moai sites, these are unusually uniform While they appear to be facing out to sea, in reality they are facing a nearby village & cave dwellings. fulfilling their purpose - to watch over and protect the inhabitants



Ahu Akivi was the first ahu to be restored after a small group of islanders, at the request of Thor Heyerdahl, erected the statue of the Ahu Ature Huki on the beach of Anakena in 1956. The reconstruction work in Ahu Akivi began in March 1960 and continued until October of that year.





The restoration of Ahu Akivi is considered a turning point in Rapa Nui From that moment other platforms began to be restored and regained their former glory This attracted the attention of other researchers and travelers and began a cultural renaissance, economic development and a renewed sense of pride in being Rapanui The annual Tapati Rapa Nui festival which we attended is part of that renaissance

From Ahu Akivi we proceeded South on some very small rough road to Puna Pau Then back on a main road East to Akahanga and Ahu Ura Uranga Te Mahina both on the southern coast Finally back West toward Hanga Roa to Ahu Vinapu Details of these 4 sites are below
Puna a Pau - The Quarry of the Moai "red hats" (Pukao)

Puna Pau is a small extinct volcano, located about 7 kilometers northeast of Hanga Roa Currently the crater is just a depression in the land covered with vegetation

Only a few outcrops of the red rock (scoria) are visible on the southern slope,



It is strictly forbidden to leave the designated path and touch the pukao



Each Moai and Pukao on the island has an ID number. Here is #35



Our next stop was Akahanga and Ahu Ura Uranga Te Mahina Here are remains of what was an old village near a small bay (hanga), located on the south coast of the island In the back of the ahu, there is a crematorium and a rustic ramp to disembark canoes
Manga Pui where we saw the Haka Pei competition	According to oral tradition, the first king of the island, the legendary ariki Hotu Matu’a was buried in this place. The excavations carried out have not yet found any vestige of the ancient king.
The Ahu Akahanga stands in front of the sea, a few meters from the waves that beat against the rocks. This large platform of 18 meters in length has not been restored, This was state in which all the ahu before restoration began in 1960

The crematorium is on a promontory jutting out toward the sea













In front of the platform, there are several headdresses of volcanic red scoria (pukao) that topped the statues

	Note the petroglyph in the middle of the photo

	A bird has perched on this fallen Moai

A few steps to the west is Ahu Uru Uranga Te Mahina - a site hardly ever visited by tourists We went there with our guide because of a 60 Minutes documentary about the threat to the Moai from erosion The informational sign below details the conservation work being done to preserve these icons of history



On the right facing the sea, there is a small cave called Ana Akahanga Legend says it was originally the home of the king's sister The cavity, which is of the karava type due to its width and shallow depth, has been used as a temporary refuge by fishermen, to shelter from the rain or spend the night.





Ahu Vinapu (aka Ahu Tahira) includes an “Inca” style wall Its similarity to the structures in the fortress of Saysachuaman and in the citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru, suggests the possibility of contact between the ancient inhabitants of Polynesia and South America

The wall consists of large blocks of stone weighing several tons, joined without mortar and adjusted with great precision



Several pukao are scattered around the area

Including some that have been repurposed to collect rainwater

The main attraction of this place is this single red column that rises It was discovered by the archaeologist William Mulloy during the expedition of Thor Heyerdahl in 1956 It is made of red scoria, the same material of the pukao, and carved in the quarry of the Puna Pau volcano.
According to some witnesses, this "feminine" or "family" Moai could orginally have had 2 heads. Sebastian showed us the image at right There is a simiar wooden sculpture depicting the Holy Family in the Catholic Church in Hanga Roa.