AHU TONGARIKI

It is one of the most majestic sites on Rapa Nui, the largest ceremonial structure on the island, the largest platform in Polynesia and, symbolically, the most important archaeological site in the Pacific Ocean. This lava stone ahu was destroyed by tribal wars and then swept away by a tidal wave in 1960. The tidal wave was so powerful that it swept the statues 100 meters inland. A restoration, financed in the 1990s by a Japanese company, has allowed these 15 moai to stand proudly. The platform is about 100 m long and is divided into three floors. The first floor was used for village ceremonies such as births and funerals. On the second level of the platform, the basement served as a burial chamber. Finally, on the last level, the moai face the Rano Raraku volcano, where the quarry from which they were most probably extracted is located. Only one of them is wearing the pucako, the red stone bun. The largest of the statues measures almost 9 meters. A few dozen meters away, you can also observe a solitary moai, also called the traveling moai: it is the only one on the island to have crossed the ocean in the 1990s. In order to raise funds for the restoration of theahu, Japan obtained permission to display this moai. It remained there for four years before returning to its native land. Near the site, there are also numerous petroglyphs representing marine figures and the inevitable birdman.