Easter Island Rapa Nui - Rock Art Petroglyphs

Untitled Page

Untitled Page

iLecture Documentary Film
Easter Island

Was Thor Heyerdal's Kon Tiki voyage an unintentional decoy to discovering the true origins of the distinctive yet silent statues of Easter Island? In December of 1862 eight ships approached a volcanic island located in the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean. This was the year that the fate of the island's beleagured population was sealed; a population that had evolved in cultural isolation to produce works of art that have become one of the wonders of the world.


	To watch the full film click here
	To watch the full film click here

Easter Island
The Rock Art of Rapa Nui


An elegant dolphin (above left) swims forever on a large tilted slab of basalt, near Anakena. This example is carved in bas-relief. A (right) whale with a curly tail showing interior X-ray type bone structure is associated with a large Polynesian curved fishhook and cupules. One cupule is much larger then the rest. La PÈrouse area.

	A large panel of sea forms (left) including octopus, possibly other sea mammals, and canoe shapes displays the curvilinear flourishes. The large octopus has a human face. On flat lava flow, La Perouse area. Turtles (pictured below) were sacred throughout Polynesia and, as food, were reserved for kings. They were so sacred that they might be substituted for a human sacrifice. There are numerous turtle motifs in the rock art of Easter Island. One (above) from Tongariki has carefully noted shell plates and a detailed head that is carved in bas-relief. The other (right) from the La Perouse area shows two turtles carved in outline form.