The Moai Statues of Easter Island Rapa Nui Essay - 982 Words

W4A1 Question 1: a. Why do you believe each culture undertook the creation of your selected monumental work of architecture and sculpture despite the difficulties of accomplishing them? What can we assume about a work of art without such knowledge? The moai statues of Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, are some of the most mysterious structures ever seen (Cothren Stokstad, 2011, p.873). Easter Island is one of the most remote islands in the world. It is 2,300 miles from the coast of South America and 1,200 miles from Pitcairn Island. The moai sit majestically on the coast and face inward. Each statue is different, some have hats and some have earrings. The moai may have been tributes to their chieftains, or to their ancestors.†¦show more content†¦Without this valuable information, we can never really know what the purpose of the moai was. We can only assume what we know from other cultures, when no knowledge of a culture is known. In other culture, monuments were built for a number of reasons, including religious, governmental, or personal motives, such as the Taj Mahal (Cothren Stokstad, 2011, p.771). Nan Madol is located on the island of Pohnpei in Micronesia. It was built between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries. On top of a coral reef built from black basaltic rock, it is a series of artificial islets. This complex was the ceremonial and political seat of the Saudeleur Dynasty (Beardsley, 1998). It also enclosed the royal tomb. The city was built to house the supreme rulers and all food, water and resources had to be brought from the mainland. All resources were brought to the city by commoners and slaves on the mainland. After the Saudelaur were defeated, the structure was abandoned because of the lack of food and water. Like the Forbidden City, it was a structure built to house the rulers and their court (Cothren Stokstad, 2011, p.799). However, unlike the Forbidden City, only ruins remain of the once great complex. b. How do the reasons for their works compare with those of a more modern example of monumental art work, such as Mount Rushmore, the 9/11 Memorial, etc.? In these two monuments, their meanings canShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Rapa Nui1338 Words   |  6 Pages THE RAPA NUI â€Æ' The Rapa Nui In this paper I will discuss the Rapa Nui and their arrival on Easter Island. I will cover the basic history of the Rapa Nui and their discovery and habitation of Easter Island. Further, I will review topics such as culture, marriage and family, religion, traditions and more. Rapa Nui is more commonly known as Easter Island, a province of Chile. Its official Spanish name is Isla de Pascua. It is one of the most isolated inhabited islands on earth, locatedRead MoreEssay On Easter Island1556 Words   |  7 PagesPolynesian Expansion Easter Island, previously named Rapa Nui, is mostly famous for its 10 metre tall Moai statues dotting the Island. Easter Island is located on the eastern point of the Polynesian Triangle. Easter Island has four extinct volcanoes, but its largest is Rano Kau, located on the southwestern headland. Rapa Nui was first settled by Hotu Matu’a in 400 CE. He came from the Marquesas in two large canoes with his wife and extended family. The Polynesians navigated Rapa Nui, using only the starsRead MoreThe Mystery Of Easter Island827 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"In Easter Island...the shadows of the departed builders still possess the land...the whole air vibrates with a vast purpose and energy which has been and is no more. What was it? Why was it? said Katherine Routledge, an explorer and archaeologist. 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(History) What attracts most people and archaeologists is the fact that there are almost 900 enormous stone figures that date back centuries in the past. (History) Over the years, there has been controversy about the exact purpose of the statues and how they were created. There are many questions I hope to answer in this excavation such as: Are there any more statues that haven’tRead MoreAustralian Aboriginal People: The Rapa Nui of Easter Island and the Tiwi Islanders2723 Words   |  11 Pagesthis essay I will examine two different cultural groups the Rapa Nui of Easter Island and the Tiwi islanders of Australia’s Northern Territory. My main focus wil l be on the impact colonisation had on these two different cultural groups. I will explain how these two different cultural civilisations were colonised at different times in history and how this effected each culture. I will describe the differences that occurred on each island and how each group handled the different situations they were