There are also three dead volcanoes fixed on top of Easter Island and the highest one stands at an astounding 1674 feet. Specifically speaking though, Easter Island is, in principle, a whole massive volcano sitting in a remote region in the Pacific Ocean.
The major volcano in Easter Island is called Rano Kau and it is currently situated inside the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Rapa Nui National Park. Additionally, the Rano Kau volcano is, in fact, the actual site of the ruins of Orongo, the ritualistic community in which the early islanders journeyed and venerated as a sacred ground of worship.
There Was More Under the Surface
The most recent discovery surrounding the Moai was that the stone heads actually had bodies that were buried deep into the earth. Oftentimes, only their massive heads popped out from the ground which is why nobody would have imagined prior to the discovery that they, in fact, have bodies complete with arms and legs. The discovery also led many to believe that there might be plenty more secrets hidden beneath the ground waiting to be uncovered.
And as it happened, the Moai still had plenty of secrets to share and they were later revealed following a major excavation project led by top archaeologists who discovered that their bodies also featured highly detailed tattoos. If there is one thing that we can learn from this discovery that is there is truth to the saying: “there is more to something than meets the eye.”
The Head Director
The Easter Island Statue Project (EISP) which excavated the Moai bodies was headed by Jo Anne Van Tilburg. Following the determination and hard work of the Van Tilburg team to uncover the hidden secrets of the Moai, she then made an announcement on the company’s website. She revealed, “Our EISP excavations recently exposed the torsos of two 7m tall statues."
After their groundbreaking discovery, countless travelers and advocates of the mysterious Easter Island across the world were shocked to hear that the island’s long-fabled statues actually had bodies! But perhaps what’s even more important is that we have learned a whole lot about the Rapa Nui and their knowledge of ancient engineering.
Rat Infestation
One other theory which could shed light on the mysterious disappearance of the island’s early settlers involved rat infestation. There are historians who support the idea that a surplus of food stocks may have opened up a flood gate of rats that stayed hidden in the canoes of the ancient pioneers of Easter Island.
There was a possibility that rodents relentlessly chowed down on their vegetation, stopping them from growing back properly. Regardless of all the havoc that they inflicted though, rats were apparently a main part of the native diet. The notion that the Rapa Nui people put rodents on the menu was supported by hard evidence after archaeologists uncovered rat bones on the island.
What Happened to The Natives?
Although there are numerous different theories surrounding the disappearance of the early Rapa Nui people, it is widely considered today that the ancient islanders became the engineers of their own devastation. That’s what the majority of the world’s most prominent researchers believe, that is if we were to talk purely about the living conditions of Easter Island.
One theory proposed that the settlers shaved the island clean from forest life, with the erroneous belief that trees will naturally grow back fast. In addition, the rapidly increasing population of inhabitants on the island became a major crisis, leaving the place overly crowded and deprived of further space and resources for growth and development.