ART 112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Moai, Polynesian Triangle, Orongo
Chapter 12: Art and the Environment. Rapa Nui, Easter Island
Historical Overview
Easter Island makes up the southeastern most part of the Polynesian
triangle. It is one of the most remote places on earth, 1000 miles away from
any other island. In 1774, Captain James Cook reached the island and from
his descriptions and early collections we can piece together a great
deal about what life was like there at the time. Called Rapa Nui by the
indigenous population, its history is one of environmental degradation
and tragedy. By the late nineteenth century the population was in
serious decline, many indigenous plants had gone extinct due to soil
erosion from the felling of trees, and fresh water sources began to dry
up. In 1862 Peruvian slave raiders came to the island and further enslaved
many people, including the ariki and priests, to work in farming and
mining in Peru. After they were freed a decade later, only 15 survivors
returned, bringing with them smallpox for which the Rapa Nui had no
immunity. Its estimated that in 1872 only 175 indigenous Rapa Nui were still
living. With missionization and the loss of land at the hands of the
Chilean government, the survivors suffered the loss of their culture
and language. This chapter will focus on the tragic events surrounding
the production of three art forms: large stone carvings called moai,
relief rock carvings, and small wooden carvings of figures.
Moai on the Ahu
Anthropomorphic figures, called moai, range from 8-72 feet in height.
They are situated on platforms known as ahu. As seen in the map above,
most of the moai on the ahu were situated along the island's edges near
the coast. However, the quarry where the moai were carved is in the
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Document Summary
Easter island makes up the southeastern most part of the polynesian triangle. It is one of the most remote places on earth, 1000 miles away from any other island. In 1774, captain james cook reached the island and from his descriptions and early collections we can piece together a great deal about what life was like there at the time. Called rapa nui by the indigenous population, its history is one of environmental degradation and tragedy. By the late nineteenth century the population was in serious decline, many indigenous plants had gone extinct due to soil erosion from the felling of trees, and fresh water sources began to dry up. In 1862 peruvian slave raiders came to the island and further enslaved many people, including the ariki and priests, to work in farming and mining in peru. After they were freed a decade later, only 15 survivors returned, bringing with them smallpox for which the rapa nui had no immunity.
