ahu (ceremonial platforms)
E55701
Ahu are monumental stone ceremonial platforms on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), often serving as foundations for the island’s iconic moai statues and as important religious and social centers.
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
archaeological site type
→
ceremonial platform → megalithic monument → |
| associatedWith |
ancestor worship
→
moai statues → mortuary practices → political authority → |
| constructedBy |
Polynesian settlers of Rapa Nui
→
|
| constructedIn |
second millennium CE
→
|
| count |
over 300 examples on Rapa Nui
→
|
| culture |
Rapa Nui culture
→
|
| etymology |
"ahu" is a Rapa Nui word for ceremonial platform
→
|
| feature |
carefully fitted masonry
→
multi-tiered construction → sea-facing façade → |
| function |
religious center
→
ritual platform → social center → |
| hasPart |
burial chambers
→
paved plaza → retaining wall → sloped ramp → statue sockets → stone platform → |
| heritageStatus |
UNESCO World Heritage Site component
→
|
| locatedIn |
Chile
→
Easter Island → Rapa Nui → southeastern Pacific Ocean → |
| material |
basalt
→
coral → stone → tuff → |
| notableExample |
Ahu Akivi
→
Ahu Nau Nau → Ahu Tahai → Ahu Tongariki → Ahu Vinapu → |
| orientation |
generally facing inland
→
often parallel to coastline → |
| partOf |
Rapa Nui National Park
→
|
| period |
Late Holocene
→
|
| religion |
Rapa Nui religion
→
|
| researchField |
Polynesian archaeology
→
|
| shape |
rectangular
→
|
| significance |
key to understanding Rapa Nui social organization
→
symbol of Rapa Nui cultural identity → |
| supports |
moai
→
|
| usedBy |
Rapa Nui people
→
|
Referenced by (1)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Rapa Nui people
→
|
created |