Big Heads!
Phew, but isn’t Rapa Nui (Easter Island) expensive? You’d almost think they had to fly all their food and beer in from thousands of kilometres away, the prices they charge! Still, worth it for the heads.
You know Rapa Nui is the place with all the heads, right? Well, if you didn’t upon arrival there is no way you can avoid this fact for long. Up until six months ago there were just over 850 heads on the island, but then BBC London arrived and found another 200 the locals had overlooked. Good old BBC. Granted, you can’t see them all (some are just lumps of stone now that are a bit of a funny shape) and some are more impressive than others, but get yourself ready for a head-tastic time!*
There are heads around the harbour, a line of heads by the museum, a weathered head Greg got very close to, enormous heads in the quarry (they’re the iconic ones), heads on the beach, heads on plinths, heads knocked over in the grass, heads still being carved out of bedrock, heads with hats and heads with painted eyes. There are even heads underwater, on the coral reef, to surprise divers every now and then. Heads! Here’s one of the iconic heads for you. **
Naturally, this iconic image is a repulsive misrepresentation of most of the heads. You see, they all come with bodies. What you can’t see in that picture s that, like an iceberg, the majority of Moai 676 is under the ground, out of sight. Those iconic heads are the ones which aren’t done yet, put into pits to make engraving the backs easier and covered over to protect them. They’re not the ones you’re meant to see! The real ones, the statues lining the coast and staring unerringly at their villagers, are much more imposing. But you know where the ‘Photos’ tab is by now, right?
And, of course, how can any artefact be complete without that unfailing symbol; the erect phallus. Only they’ve weathered off you see. But they were there. Honestly. All the archaeologists say. ‘Cause they’re statues, right. That’s just what cultural statues have.
Saf - Rapa Nui, Chile
* Well actually I think you’ll find that they’re called ‘moai’, but let’s not split hairs.
** From this point on I apologise for the poor quality of my photographs; the camera got overexcited in my bag, turned itself on and scratched its lens right across the centre. So no, those strange blurs you see in the centre of every shot are not ‘orbs’, but just ming. I hope you enjoy a growing series of photographs in which the subject is far to one side or the other.
Location, South America | saf | 
September 30, 2009 1:51 pm
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