Core77
e
Those Easter Island Statues Aren't Just Heads, They Have Bodies That are Buried Underground
Someone owes someone an apology
By Rain Noe - Jul 22, 2015
Of all the ridiculous arguments you'll overhear on the NYC subway, most are not worth your time to listen in on; it's obvious that St. Mark's Place is not within "the Lower East Side" and everyone knows that Kanye West does not have a degree in architecture. But this one was too good for me not to surreptitiously lean towards: A woman insisting that those giant head statues on Easter Island actually have bodies below the earth's surface, and her male companion dismissing this as a myth.
Not being up on my Easter Island news, when I got home I had to look it up. Turns out the woman was right, and those heads have torsos that have been buried in volcanic ash.
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)As early as 1914, archaeologists have known that the heads were only the exposed parts of the sculptures poking up above the dirt, according to Live Science. They quote archaeologist Dr. Jo Anne Van Tilburg, a rock sculpture expert and director of the Easter Island Statue Project:
The reason people think they are [only] heads is there are about 150 statues buried up to the shoulders on the slope of a volcano, and these are the most famous, most beautiful and most photographed of all the Easter Island statues.... This suggested to people who had not seen photos of [other unearthed statues on the island] that they are heads only.
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)Why this was considered a myth is not surprising, and is probably due to the following idiotic rendering that someone posted online:
Enter a caption (optional)The Easter Island statues do not, in fact, have "gym bodies"--what did they, have memberships to Equinox? In keeping with the way that the actual Rapa Nui tribespeople who carved them look like, they're decidedly a bit less P-90X:
Enter a caption (optional)If you were the naysayer riding the 6-train around 5:30pm on Friday, I hope that you Googled it when you got home, and later apologized to your friend.
Rain Noe
Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.
4 Comments
-
Sneaky hobbitses.
!Report as spam -
Actually, the term "Lower East Side" changed just a few decades ago. For my parents' generation, it included everything between 14th Street and Houston, as well as what is now/still included. It is only fairly recently (in city terms) that the north section of the Lower East Side between 14th St and Houston even started to call itself the "East Village." So if you are old-school, St. Marks Place *is* in the Lower East Side. I know folks in their 30s and 40s who still call it the Lower East Side.
!Report as spam -
I thought it was a well known fact that they have bodies buried under the earth. Structurally, you need about the same mass in the base for them to stand up right. I didn't even know that there are people who think they were just heads.
My question is: how did you think they stand up right? Rebar?!Report as spam -
The depiction of the moai in the movie "Night at the Museum" as only a head probably shares some of the blame.
!Report as spam
Continued Reading
-
By Kat Bauman - Jun 08, 2015
Creatively Safe: Collective Caution Modern Safety Posters
Limited Edition Prints, Timeless Advice
If you've taken a science or workshop class any time between now and 1935, you're probably plenty familiar with safety posters. We wanted to update our favorite vintage morbidity warnings with a contemporary creative bent, so we asked 10 Portland artists and designers to reinterpret their favorite safety poster ideas
-
By Allison Fonder - May 22, 2015
JONALD DUDD Exhibition Challenges The Definition of Design
An exhibition of design objects offer visual intrigue and cultural commentary
Nowadays, it seems like everyone and their mom is an artist. In an age where our mobile devices allow us to constantly document our lives and celebrities now design full clothing lines, ideas regarding field specialization and the boundaries of creative territory is quickly fading. We're living in an
-
By Rain Noe - May 04, 2015
Spraypaint-Wielding Drone Helps Pioneer a New Type of Vandalism
As artist Katsu works out the kinks on his creation, tagging will rise to new heights
Last year street artist Katsu caused a stir with his Drone Paintings. Last week he caused a stir by turning the technology against advertising with a public act of vandalism. The technology in question is the ability to spraypaint via drone, which produced (in my opinion) some pretty cool paintings
-
By Carly Ayres - Apr 27, 2015
New Directions for 3D Printing
The Czech artist Helena Lukášová on her fungi-inspired, face-eating mask, and other experiments in digital fabrication
Rows of brightly colored PLA and rapid-prototyped pieces filled New York's Javits Center the other week for the annual 3D Print Design Show. The expo, which has been traveling internationally since 2012, invites manufacturers and makers alike to share their latest creations. It was there that the work of the
K
{Welcome
Create a Core77 Account
Already have an account? Sign In
By creating a Core77 account you confirm that you accept the Terms of Use
K
Reset Password
Please enter your email and we will send an email to reset your password.
