Surprisingly, among the most popular of all the Moai is no longer standing at Easter Island as we speak. Called Hoa Hakananai’a by the Rapa Nui, the iconic statue is currently on exhibit at the British Museum of London. Back in November of 1868, an exhibition team from the British vessel HMS Topaze recovered the stone figure from ‘Orongo, Easter Island.
Following an extensive voyage, the Hoa Hakananai’a ultimately arrived in England in August of 1969. Although it was not as large as the typical colossal Moai found on the island, the Hoa Hakananai’a is generally considered the model layout for the Moai on Easter Island and is considered by all a work of art.
Ancient Tools
The early Rapa Nui was truly a mysterious people but slowly, researchers learned more and more about them as they continued to study the ancient structures and stumbled into new discoveries. One of the most unique archaeological features that can be attributed to these ancient islanders was the type of tools that they used. Known as Mata, the tools were made from volcanic glass, which the Rapa Nui would then tailor into numerous different designs and sizes.
The majority of the Mata was intentionally crafted to be sharp, so it would be able to cut through tough fibers, carve hardwood and even serve as a weapon. These tools are widely known relics of many Rapa Nui exhibits in various museums all over the world.
Marko Kulju
As one of the only reported heists made on Easter Island and its iconic Moai, a tourist from Finland traveled to Anakena Beach and sliced off an ear from one of the statues. Fortunately, a person saw the plaintiff, Marko Kulju, escaping from the scene of the crime carrying the missing ear from the Moai that he hacked off and reported him to the authorities. The police managed to apprehend Kulju and for his sacrilegious act, was charged with a fine amounting to $17,000 USD.
No matter how you view it, the penalty was a slap on the wrist given the fact that Kulju could have potentially faced a sentence of up to seven years in jail for his crime against the people of Easter Island and their ancestors who built the Moai as well. On the positive side, the incident paved the way for tighter security procedures for tourists of the Rapa Nui National park.
A Cure for Leprosy
Aside from the several already strange theories that were already mentioned earlier, there is also a bizarre theory involving the Moai which was created by Dr. Anneliese Pontius, a Harvard Medical school psychiatry professor. Pontius theorized that the purpose behind the construction of the Moai was so that the early inhabitants of Easter Island could gain the power to cure leprosy.
The moment they saw the malformations on the body of leprosy victims, particularly on their faces, hands, fingers, and arms, the natives felt a strong inclination to build the most flawless specimens they could make. They believed that creating such perfect specimens would aid in reversing the physical damage inflicted by leprosy.
Out with the Old, in With the New
Although the renowned island of the Rapa Nui people is mostly known all over the world for its iconic Moai alongside a rich history that spanned thousands of years, there are other remarkable things about the remote island that are worthy of praise. For one, Easter Island also has a vibrant modern society that has experienced dramatic changes in a mere lifetime.
A tour guide on the island once mentioned how his 87-year-old great-grandmother grew up in a cave as a child. And for a lot of the inhabitants of Easter Island, the very first time they witnessed an airplane flying above them was perhaps one of the most dramatic moments of their lives.