Rano Raraku: The Quarry Of The Moai On Easter Island
The Rano Raraku volcano is as important to Easter Island as the moai themselves. This is because the most famous figures in all of Chile came out of their quarry. The stones with which they were shaped were extracted from this volcano which, in addition to becoming a fundamental piece of the island, is an incredible place.
The shape of the volcano, its natural wealth and the legends that are told about it make it an attraction that must be visited on Easter Island. It is likely that you have not heard of the Rano Raraku and only know the famous moai. Therefore, you should keep reading and discover what is the heart of the island.
The moai of Rano Raraku
The famous moai are spread all over Easter Island. P ueden be about a thousand of these statues unique. Have you ever wondered where those huge pieces of stone that were used to shape the moai came from?
The main quarry was that of Rano Raraku. Its volcanic rock is not very hard, so the inhabitants of the island decided to sculpt on it. They made the moai next to the volcano itself. They come in different sizes, reaching over 20 meters in height.
It is not known for sure how long it took to sculpt each one of them, nor the number of workers or craftsmen who participated. Surely it was varying with time, because between the first and the last that were sculpted there is a difference of nine centuries, from the VII to the XVI.
It is also unclear how the sculptures were moved from the Rano Raraku to each place on the island. They are scattered throughout the area in no specific order. In fact, some are upright and some are horizontal, and not all look at the same position.
Also, there are a few unfinished moai. You can see several areas with the work half done, even without finishing removing the piece of stone from the volcano. In other areas the hole left by the moai carved and transported elsewhere is perfectly visible.
Despite being all over the island, almost half of the moai can be seen on the slope of the volcano and in its surroundings. His visit is the most complete, since in addition to seeing more than 300 of these sculptures, you will get to know the place from which they were extracted.
How were moai sculpted?
As there are unfinished moai, studies on how to work in the Rano Raraku quarry have reached several conclusions . First they chose an area where to extract a stone block, in which it was perforated by the edges to favor the work of the sculptors.
Later, the stone began to work with basalt tools. These utensils can be seen on the island, since when they were disused they were discarded. There are thousands in this place.
Before removing the figure completely, stones were placed to support the large block. Once outside, he crawled up the slope. This was a critical point, as there are several examples of these broken sculptures on the descent of the volcano.
In the place where they wanted to place the moai, a hole was dug to place it vertically. Once in position, the sculptors made the final touches on the figures.
What else to see in Rano Raraku
In this volcano you can see the lagoon inside the crater. It is a very special place that you cannot miss. But the Rano Raraku forms other geological scenarios that you will love. These are the cliffs created by the volcanic rock itself and which allow for impressive views.
On Easter Island there are other places of interest, such as the Rano Kau volcano. It is larger than the Rano Raraku, so it is also worth including it in the route around the island.
