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This was the first Moai ever restored (1957) and done by none other than the legendary Thor Heyerdahl himself (at Anakena Beach). Loved the light rays on this shot. Heyerdahl’s theories make a lot of sense to me, but the locals think he was completely wrong about the islands population coming from South America. To me, it made no sense that the craft of the day could go UPWIND 8000 miles from Asia to populate this far flung Southeastern corner of the great Polynesian triangle.
Especially when South America is relatively close and DOWNWIND from modern day Chile’s western shore. Heyerdahl supported the idea that there were indeed two major migrations. He believed the genetic similarity of the American Indians and Asian populations which were similar arrived via the Bering Straits and eventually populated the far Eastern Pacific. This (to him) would explain modern DNA evidence.
Easter Island
March 13, 2010