Easter Island

© 2001 Jason Colavito

On a dusty speck of rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, one of the most celebrated cultures in history found a foot-hold into the popular imagination. The inhabitants of Easter Island created a cultural legacy that continues to resonate today as tourists flock to the tiny Chilean possession to see for themselves the impressive and distinctive statues, called Moai, which dot the landscape and stare with empty eyes toward the endless ocean. They stand on platform temples, called Ahu, which the islanders built up and enlarged over the course of centuries. Tourists are astounded by the fine craftsmanship and breath-taking beauty of Easter Island. Many believe a great mystery lies hidden there.

Alternative history author Graham Hancock believes that Easter Island is a focal point for a vanished civilization whose influence stretches across millennia: "The mystery of Easter Island so far seems to have involved... the mystery of the master architects who first conceived the great Ahu and Moai [and] the mystery of the master scribes who understood the Rongorongo language," he wrote in Heaven's Mirror (1998). Decades ago, anthropologist Robert Suggs wrote a history of Polynesia that was a standard text on the subject. He firmly believed that archaeology had solved most of the island's puzzles: "The mystery of this island, then, is largely of an artificial nature, created for specific purposes by nonscientific authors." He implied that those authors seek only fame and fortune, not truth. For that reason, they obscure the history of the famous Moai. The Moai of Easter Island are usually dated to the period between A.D. 1200 - 1650, and are considered a late addition to the Ahu platforms, which originated with the founding of Easter Island. When I asked Graham Hancock to comment on the age of the statues, he told me in August 2001 that the archaeological dating is "probably correct as far as it goes, though not necessarily the whole story." He referred me to Heaven's Mirror for a full explanation of his views, so it is from their that I quote...

How did the Easter Island statues get their red hats ? Archaeologists now believe that the mysterious headpieces sported by the statues were rolled down from avolcano and are composed of compressed red scoria dust."Archaeologists believe they have solved one ancient mystery surrounding the famous Easter Island statues.

At 2,500 miles off the coast of Chile, the island is one of the world"smost remote places inhabited by people. "

View: Full Article | Source: BBCNews

A six-kilometer long cave system has been discovered on Easter Island which is believed to have been used by the island"s inhabitants in the 16th century. Spears, axes, petroglyphs and even human skeletons have been found there."A team of experts recently discovered a six-kilometer-long lava cave system on Easter Island thought to have been used as a refuge by the island’s inhabitants during the 16th century.

The team confirmed it is the largest cave on the island and the 11th-largest in the world in terms of area."

View: Full Article | Source:Santiago Times

A compound first discovered in the soil of Easter Island called "rapamycin" has shown promising results when administered to mice, increasing their lifespan by a third and offering hope for similar application in humans. "These Easter Island monoliths have endured for centuries.

New research suggests that a compound first discovered in soil of the remote South Pacific island might help humans stand the test of time, too."

View: Full Article | Source: PhysOrg.com