Today we"re looking at something you may have heard about before—the famous Moai statues on Chile"s remote Easter Island. These big-headed statues were carved out of solidified volcanic ash by the Rapa Nui people between 1250 and 1500, and there are nearly 1,000 of them on the island. Archaeologists believe they were meant to honor Rapa Nui ancestors and were revered as symbols of power and authority. All but seven of the statues face away from the surrounding Pacific Ocean, and instead look inward toward the villages, as if positioned to watch protectively over the Rapa Nui.
Moai statues on Easter Island, Chile
Today in History
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International Day for Biological Diversity
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White Sands National Park turns 90
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National Park Week: Olympic National Park, Washington
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Naxos in the Cyclades Islands of Greece
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Happy Easter!
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Longtailed widowbird at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa
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Celebrating Chile’s Independence Day
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Helloooooo, Innsbruck
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Black History Month
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Merry Christmas!
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Gemsbok in Namibian sand dunes
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Bask in the glow—It s World Turtle Day
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Palazzo Zuccari, Rome
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International Sloth Day
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Black bear cub emerging into spring
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Waitangi Day in New Zealand
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Brown pelican, San Diego, California
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World Children s Day
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Squirrel Appreciation Day
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Evidence of human habitation
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World Honey Bee Day
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A different view of sharks
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International Day of Human Space Flight
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Tigh Mor Trossachs on Loch Achray, Scotland
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Paradise, found
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Happy New Years Eve!
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An avian predator built for the snow
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Taking the scenic route
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Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil
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Striated heron on a Victoria water lily, Pantanal, Brazil
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