Easter Island Statues

[Wayne Little]

Wow....didn't know that...

 

[RabidAlien]

Well, that explains why something so big, "balanced" on its narrow end (and several looking like they're standing at angles), haven't fallen over already. Kewl!

 

[herman1rg]

Is this now the official Weirdness thread?

 

[Lucky13]

Head over heels, anyone?

 

[Messy1]

I had no clue myself! I was amazed I never knew that the head, also had BODIES!

 

[bobbysocks]

sometimes i never noticed there was a head on some bodies!! but seriouosly i never thought of that and i have seen several documentaries about them....this is the one new thing i learned today.

after going back and looking at them again...whats even more amazing is the detail and inscriptions on the buried portion....shows how much wind erosion has take its toil on the exposed part.

 

[Matt308]

yeah I noticed that too. wonder what the designs signify.

"head over heels anyone"... I will not dignify that with a response.

 

[mikewint]

Been away for a while, jest caught this thread. While many posted pics of the Easter Island "Heads" do indeed show just a Head, there are also many pics that show various degrees of sunkeness. Those that are less buried clearly show a torso. There are also many posted pics of statues further inland standing on rocks that show the entire body

 

[Matt308]

Very cool.

 

[GrauGeist]

Years ago, they found several Moai partially finished in a quarry a considerable distance from the final resting place...it's hard to fathom what those people were up to, since the construction of those statues consumed tremendous rsources that they could scarcely afford to waste...

 

[A4K]

Years ago, they found several Moai partially finished in a quarry a considerable distance from the final resting place...it's hard to fathom what those people were up to, since the construction of those statues consumed tremendous rsources that they could scarcely afford to waste...

Slave labour no doubt. The New Zealand Maori regularly took slaves as workers, concubines, and food.

Great thread Matt, thanks for posting!

 

[gumbyk]

A4, its more an issue of the islands natural resources.
I've heard it specualted by people more knowledgable than me that the reason for deforestation on the island could be because they stripped the forests for timber to help construct/move these things.

 

[mikewint]

There are almost 900 Moai with about half still in the quarry for various reasons: in some cases the carvers found the tuff contained flaws and abandoned the carving, some are incomplete, and some complete ans awaiting transport. None have visible legs except for one kneeling Moai. Most are about 14tons although two big boys are close to 90 and one incomplete would have come in at 270tons.
Present belief is that they represent the faces of dieified ancestors

 

[Airframes]

Heck, and I'd always thought they were left there due to Walmart cancelling the order for garden ornaments!

 

[mikewint]

Terry, That's a posibility, and they travel well too, check this one out, it's in your back yard

 

[Njaco]

I just found out that cars on the bottom at this site have 4 wheels just like the ones up top!! Something new everyday!

 

[GrauGeist]

car henge was a total waste of some good vintage automobiles (except the Gremlin)...

 

[A4K]

guys...

 

[Matt308]

Please don't tell me that carhenge was supposed to be a work of art.

 

[A4K]

I think it's the council's new scheme to create extra parking space Matt