At Tahai, remnants of an old Rapanui village can still be seen. Two of the three ahu (ceremonial platform; pronounced “ah-who”) at Tahai are visible in this photo with their moai (head-and-torso statue; pronounced “moe-eye”). Polynesians first arrived on the island between 700 and 1200 CE. The moai period went into decline starting around 1540 with the rise of the Birdman Cult. The Rapanui themselves toppled all the moai, most over 200 years ago. (Captain James Cook noted some toppled moai when he landed in 1774. The last recorded instance of an outside visitor seeing an upright moai was in 1838.) These particular moai were restored between 1968 and 1970 by American archeologist William Mulloy. The moai, representing deceased chiefs or important tribe members, look at their village and their descendants which they protect so their backs are to the sea.
Over 40% of the land and all of the archeological sites on Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) are part of Rapa Nui National Park (Parque Nacional Rapa Nui), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.
On Google Earth:
Ahu Vai Uri (5 moai) at Tahai 27° 8'23.22"S, 109°25'38.36"W
Ahu Ko Te Riku (1 moai) at Tahai 27° 8'21.92"S, 109°25'36.65"W
