Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as it is called in the local dialect, was created by eruptions from three main volcanoes and 70 secondary cones between three million and 100,000 years ago. This small island, 166 square kilometers in size, is located 3,700 kilometers off the coast of South America, and is one of the most remote inhabited places on earth. It is believed that the island was first populated between A.D. 400 and 800 when, according to legend, King Hotu Matu’a arrived from a distant Polynesian island, possibly one of the Marquesas, leading the first of two major migrations to Easter Island.
WMF’s interest in protecting the archaeological heritage of Easter Island began in the late 1960s, and the organization remains committed to researching the island’s past, protecting its monuments, and spreading awareness about its extraordinary heritage.
Three moai statues and ahu, 1995
Dr. William Mulloy at Easter Island, c.1970s
Rocks covered in petroglyphs surround the entrance to a ceremonial chamber used for the ancient birdman ritual, 1995
Petroglyphs at Rano Kau, 2011
View of the Pacific Ocean, 2011
A village house at Orongo after conservation. Orongo was a ceremonial focal point for the birdman cult, c. 2000
Moai at the Tongariki site, the largest ahu grouping on the island, 2003
Tourists visit the Rano Raraku excavation, 2011
View of the Tongariki site, 2011
Visitor center from distance, 2011
Visitor center entrance, 2011
Visitor center interior, 2011
View of the Tongariki site, 2011
Rano Raraku from distance, 2011
