"In the middle of the Great Ocean, in a region where no one ever passes, there is a mysterious and isolated island; there is no land in the vicinity and, for more than eight hundred leagues in all directions, empty and moving vastness surrounds it. It is planted with tall, monstrous status, the work of some now - vanished race, and its past remains an enigma."

Pierre Loti, L'Ile de Paques, 1872

RapaNui, is home to the enigmatic stone statues called moai. Those moai standing watch over the inhabitants of the island are the ones that have been restored in recent years to their proper place of honor atop the altars, or ahu.

Statues average 12 to 25 feet in height, and the largest finished figure known to be transported to an Ahu is 32 feet tall and weighs 50 tons. Over 240 shrines, or ahu, built to honor the sprits of deceased relatives, snake along the coast and the Moai associated with them all have their backs to the sea. But inland on the long slope of the volcano Tereuaka is Ahu Akivi, with seven moai facing the sea (the only such occurrence on the island). An explanation for this disparity remains elusive. Typically, the moai were carved out of volcanic ash, using hand picks of a tear-drop design. The statues were cleverly carved from the rocks. First, the surface of the volcanic ash made it a little softer by moistening it with water. Then, using the hand picks, a line was pecked down until it was an inch deep. This was re-done about three-quarters of an inch over. This then produces two grooves with a keel in the middle. This keel could be then easily knocked out. By repeating this process, it is possible to carve out a figure in a much quicker time than you would expect. A wooden sled was then used to drag the statue to its proposed site and then erected by using a simple method of levers and rock piles. What seems an incredible - almost impossible - task is completed using very basic technology and skill.

The island is not only a testament to its peoples' sculpting skills - petroglyphs as well are found throughout the island. The most impressive of these relief s are at the ancient ruins of the Orongo where a jumbled mass of rocks are covered with relief sculptures elaborating the rituals of the cult of the Birdman.

Civil wars ravaged most of the population. By the end of the 17th century, only a few of a once-vibrant and artistic people remained. Questions which so far cannot be answered yet cannot be ignored continue to haunt us: who were these people who, isolated as they were, developed an as yet undeciphered written language, quarried stone, transported it for miles and erected the awesome Moai?

The population of Easter Island reached its peak at perhaps more than 10,000, far exceeding the capabilities of the small island's ecosystem. Resources became scarce, and the once lush palm forests were destroyed - cleared for agriculture and moving the massive stone Moai . Thereafter, a thriving and advanced social order began to decline into bloody civil war and, evidently, cannibalism. Eventually, all of the Moai standing along the coast were torn down by the islanders themselves; recent archaeological efforts have raised all of the statues now erect.