Rapa Nui, part the next: A quarry for hats
Sep. 2nd, 2005 08:16 pmNext we visited Puna Pau, a one hundred foot hill of red volcanic rock, that was used as a quarry for the giant topknots or hats, called pukao, that many of the moai wore.

Some fully carved pukao are still on-site, never moved to the moai they were meant to top. From up here we could see the ocean, some crop fields, and eucalyptus trees. Another direction gave us a view of the village, Hanga Roa.


Some of the pukao were quite large.

Quite large. These are just the statues' hats.

A close look at one revealed a small creature using one as shelter.

I liked imagining the pukao being moved. They'd want to roll them, but in a controlled way...

On to the next site.
Next: What I saw, and had to photograph, before we left.

Some fully carved pukao are still on-site, never moved to the moai they were meant to top. From up here we could see the ocean, some crop fields, and eucalyptus trees. Another direction gave us a view of the village, Hanga Roa.


Some of the pukao were quite large.

Quite large. These are just the statues' hats.

A close look at one revealed a small creature using one as shelter.

I liked imagining the pukao being moved. They'd want to roll them, but in a controlled way...

On to the next site.
Next: What I saw, and had to photograph, before we left.