In the heart of Rapa Nui, better known as Easter Island, a species long thought lost is taking root once again. The toromiro tree (Sophora toromiro), once a vital part of the island’s landscape and ...

Researching which moai statues to visit on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in Chile can be overwhelming. I speak from experience, ...

Indiana University has completed its first international repatriation of human remains to the Rapa Nui people of Easter ...

A university spokesperson said the remains had not been used for research in several decades, before which it isn’t ...

We encourage you to peruse them, and then send in your own theory on how the moai were moved. Like most oral traditions, Rapa Nui folklore has been passed down through the generations, and it is ...

But many more made it to their platforms intact. The ancient statues known as moai are everyday sights on Easter Island, or Rapa Nui—native dancers in body paint, less so. Some 2,000 Rapanui ...

While the Rapa Nui are best known for their Moai, monolithic stone statues of deified human ancestors, a lesser known marvel of theirs is Rongorongo, a unique writing system that new research ...

Beyond the physical tests, the Tau’a Rapa Nui triathlon warms the heart as a celebration of community and heritage. Indeed, ...

The moai may also hold a sacred role in the life of the Rapa Nui, acting as ceremonial conduits for communication with the gods. According to Van Tilburg, their physical position between earth and ...

The oldest moai dates back to 1300, and among the Rapa Nui people there was a belief that their chiefs were "descended from the gods and that after death they would once again become divine ...

In the quarry at Rano Raraku, ancient matamu'a carved the stone monuments known as moai, which represent ancestors who have ...