Abu Hanga Kio’e is rightfully placed at the end of our adventures on Rapa Nui/ Easter Island. Both Henry and agreed that our driving tour of the Island was enriched because we had such a feeling of freedom of discovery. Each time we searched for yet another archaeological site, it felt like we were on a treasure hunt, and indeed we were. The thrill was in the discovery and siting of these large figures in this broad landscape.  Ahu Hanga Kio’e was thought to be one of the last Ahu to be built, probably fabricated by the clans in the 17th century. This was the  period that  marked a turning point in the culture’s worship of ancestors, engendered by the carving and erection of Moai, figures. These large scaled figures were sculpted to represent important ancestors of each clan, beginning with the arrival of Ariki Hoto Matu’a (King Ariki Hoto Matu’a) between 500 and 1000 A.D.. A consensus  of scholars have found that this powerful leader and explorer was forced to abandon his ancestral lands, thought to be the Marquesas Islands. He discovered Rapa Nui and here settled several hundred followers and immigrants who sailed with him on two large double hulled canoes. I found this particular figure to be quite haunting. It reveals a strong character in the likeness of the illustrious, anonymous ancestor. With its back to the Pacific Ocean, it’s placement gives it a haunting presence of solitude and contemplation. Nearby, is a smaller, older Moai, which has been restored. A German company supplied the chemicals as a consolidation treatment for the restoration of this piece. The open field and green grass is a pasture to the horses and cattle which roam freely on Rapa Nui/Easter Island, lending a pastoral sense to the scene.

PHOTOS: Upper Left: A bull at pasture on the site of Ahu Hanga Kio’e, with ruins of artifacts which were placed on the mound near the ocean. Lower Left: A pair of horses, nuzzling near a stacked stone pedestal. Center: 17th Century Ahu Hanga Kio’e. Upper Right: A grazing horse with remnant of a pedestal in the background.  Lower Right: Earlier restored fragment of a Moai.

JOURDAN ARPELLE-ZIEGLER                                           BACK TO MAP PAGE