Aku-Aku
Encyclopedia
Aku-Aku, the Secret of Easter Island is a 1958 book by Thor Heyerdahl
that described his research at Rano Raraku
and Anakena
on the many giant stone statues or moai
found on Easter Island
and the culture that created them.
The book and a follow-up film of the same name made a major contribution to general public awareness of both the island and the statues, outside the anthropological and archaeological communities. Much of Heyerdahl's evidence has now been refuted by archaeologists, and his methods have been heavily criticised. For example: Paul Bahn wrote: "he relied on the selective use of evidence, which resulted in a misleading conclusion".
, Easter Island
was settled by people from Peru
in South America
(an area he described as being "more culturally developed").
"Aku-aku" can refer to moving a tall, flat-bottomed object (such as a bookshelf) by swiveling it alternatively on its corners in a "walking" fashion. Heyerdahl theorised that the moai
(statues) of Easter Island were moved in this fashion. He tested this theory on a small moai; however, he quickly abandoned the test after the moai's base was damaged.
Heyerdahl further asserts that, for the islanders, Aku Aku also means a personal spiritual guide. Near the end of the book, Heyerdahl elucidates on a conversation with his own aku-aku.
Amerindian stonework, such as at Tihuanaco. Seemingly unaware of Polynesian
stoneworking traditions, such as the Marae
, he said of Ahu Vinapu's retaining wall, "No Polynesian fisherman would have been capable of conceiving, much less building such a wall". But, researcher Alfred Metraux
had already pointed out that the rubble-filled Rapanui walls were a fundamentally different design from those of the Inca.
Heyerdahl claimed a South American origin for a number of Easter Island plants, including the Totora reeds in the island's three crater lakes. These are now recognised as a separate species from similar ones in Lake Titicaca
. He made the same claim for sweet potato
. Scientists now believe that it was cultivated in Polynesia before Easter Island was settled, and taken there by Polynesians.
Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer with a background in zoology and geography. He became notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition, in which he sailed by raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands...
that described his research at Rano Raraku
Rano Raraku
Rano Raraku is a volcanic crater formed of consolidated volcanic ash, or tuff, and located on the lower slopes of Terevaka in the Rapa Nui National Park on Easter Island. It was a quarry for about 500 years until the early eighteenth century, and supplied the stone from which about 95% of the...
and Anakena
Anakena
Anakena is a white coral sand beach in Rapa Nui National Park on Rapa Nui , a Chilean island in the Pacific Ocean. Anakena has two ahus, one with a single moai and the other with six...
on the many giant stone statues or moai
Moai
Moai , or mo‘ai, are monolithic human figures carved from rock on the Chilean Polynesian island of Easter Island between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry, but hundreds were transported from there and set on stone platforms called ahu around the...
found on Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
and the culture that created them.
The book and a follow-up film of the same name made a major contribution to general public awareness of both the island and the statues, outside the anthropological and archaeological communities. Much of Heyerdahl's evidence has now been refuted by archaeologists, and his methods have been heavily criticised. For example: Paul Bahn wrote: "he relied on the selective use of evidence, which resulted in a misleading conclusion".
Theories
Heyerdahl is most controversially associated with an attempt to revive the theory that the islanders stone-carving technology came from South America. He argued that in addition to having been settled by PolynesiansPolynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
, Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
was settled by people from Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
(an area he described as being "more culturally developed").
"Aku-aku" can refer to moving a tall, flat-bottomed object (such as a bookshelf) by swiveling it alternatively on its corners in a "walking" fashion. Heyerdahl theorised that the moai
Moai
Moai , or mo‘ai, are monolithic human figures carved from rock on the Chilean Polynesian island of Easter Island between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry, but hundreds were transported from there and set on stone platforms called ahu around the...
(statues) of Easter Island were moved in this fashion. He tested this theory on a small moai; however, he quickly abandoned the test after the moai's base was damaged.
Heyerdahl further asserts that, for the islanders, Aku Aku also means a personal spiritual guide. Near the end of the book, Heyerdahl elucidates on a conversation with his own aku-aku.
Evidence
Heyerdahl compared the highest-quality stonework on the island to pre-ColumbianPre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
Amerindian stonework, such as at Tihuanaco. Seemingly unaware of Polynesian
Polynesian culture
Polynesian culture refers to the indigenous peoples' culture of Polynesia who share common traits in language, customs and society. Chronologically, the development of Polynesian culture can be divided into four different historical eras:...
stoneworking traditions, such as the Marae
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
, he said of Ahu Vinapu's retaining wall, "No Polynesian fisherman would have been capable of conceiving, much less building such a wall". But, researcher Alfred Metraux
Alfred Metraux
Alfred Métraux was a Swiss anthropologist and human rights leader.-Early life:Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, Metraux spent much of his childhood in Argentina where his father was a well known surgeon resident in Mendoza. His mother was a Georgian from Tbilisi...
had already pointed out that the rubble-filled Rapanui walls were a fundamentally different design from those of the Inca.
Heyerdahl claimed a South American origin for a number of Easter Island plants, including the Totora reeds in the island's three crater lakes. These are now recognised as a separate species from similar ones in Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
. He made the same claim for sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
. Scientists now believe that it was cultivated in Polynesia before Easter Island was settled, and taken there by Polynesians.