Easter Island Statue Project Official Website

Ahu Vinapu: Moai 02-210-004


Moai 02-210-004 was first noted, in its current position, by Surgeon J. Linton Palmer of HMS Topaze. At that time, he sketched the incised “tattoo” lines on the neck and paintings on the torso (one was a crescent in red and white and the other a small anthropomorph in white). The combined elements evoked a person on a canoe or ship. The incised lines are similar to others found at Ahu Tongariki and Rano Raraku.

Moai 02-210-004.

Jo Anne Van Tilburg and EISP photographer David C. Ochsner on site at Vinapu with Moai 02-210-004 in the background. © EISP/JVT/Photo: M.A. Clark.

Jo Anne Van Tilburg and EISP photographer David C. Ochsner on site at Vinapu. © EISP/JVT/Photo: M.A. Clark.



Using the combined data collected on statues 004 and 005 at site 2-210 and that of pukao at adjacent 02-209-010, we produced a conjectural reconstruction. This statue is important in that it illustrates the ceremonial use of a fallen moai into historic time (at least until 1867-68). In addition to the rock art elements on Moai 02-210-004 and other information collected by Palmer, in 1913-15 Katherine Routledge was told of rituals dealing specifically with increase by invoking the post-1722 “foreign gods” who “came in ships.”©1991 EISP/JVT/Drawings: Cristiàn Arèvalo Pakarati. Using the combined data collected on statues 004 and 005 at site 2-210 and that of pukao at adjacent 02-209-010, we produced a conjectural reconstruction. This statue is important in that it illustrates the ceremonial use of a fallen moai into historic time (at least until 1867-68). In addition to the rock art elements on Moai 02-210-004 and other information collected by Palmer, in 1913-15 Katherine Routledge was told of rituals dealing specifically with increase by invoking the post-1722 “foreign gods” who “came in ships.”©1991 EISP/JVT/Drawings: Cristiàn Arèvalo Pakarati. Using the combined data collected on statues 004 and 005 at site 2-210 and that of pukao at adjacent 02-209-010, we produced a conjectural reconstruction. This statue is important in that it illustrates the ceremonial use of a fallen moai into historic time (at least until 1867-68). In addition to the rock art elements on Moai 02-210-004 and other information collected by Palmer, in 1913-15 Katherine Routledge was told of rituals dealing specifically with increase by invoking the post-1722 “foreign gods” who “came in ships.”©1991 EISP/JVT/Drawings: Cristiàn Arèvalo Pakarati. (left) This statue illustrates the ceremonial use of a fallen moai into historic time. The site was excavated by W. Mulloy and reported in the published papers of the Norwegian Archaeological Expedition. Although there were some anomalies in the descriptions of the statues, Mulloy’s team also produced a conjectural reconstruction view of the statues standing upright on the platform.

RELATED RECORD: See Raúl Paoa’s sketches, which were used as the basis of the pukao in this reconstruction.


Posted on May 8th, 2009 by EISP Staff | Category: 1980s, Field Notes & Documents |