Vinapu

Vinapu Platform::Easter Island::
Vinapu Platform
Toppled Moai at Vinapu::Easter Island::
Toppled Moai at Vinapu
Small Red Moai::Easter Island::
Small Red Moai

This is the most remarkable of all ahu on Rapa Nui. The platform’s walls were made out of absolutely rectangular in shape blocks carved of stone. Straight edges perfectly fit together. Blocks were put one on top of another without a mortar. Some archeologists pointed its resemblance to Inca stone walls in South America and suggested that original islanders may have come from this continent. It is hard to prove such theory, and explanation why this platform differs so much form others on Easter Island remains unanswered.

Ahu Vinapu::Easter Island::
Ahu Vinapu

Eleven toppled moai lay face down at Ahu Vinapu. Most of them are broken. Not much from the original sacred platform is left. Most of the stone blocks are misplaced. The place is really a pile of rubble and it is easy to miss a very unusual moai, made out of red colored volcanic rock, the same that was used to carve pukao (topknots). The odd, small moai is a rather highly degraded remnant of sculpture standing in front of the ahu.


© 2009 Maciej Swulinski