Easter Island is the most isolated territory on the planet. It lies 3,800 kms off the coast of Chile, its closest neighbor, right in the center of the Pacific Ocean. It’s a relatively small island, a mere 165 square km large, beaten down by winds, with astonishingly few trees, and very little drinkable water. In spite of its inhospitable traits, it was colonized around the fifth century by groups of Polynesians that managed to establish a unique and sophisticated civilization. They were immortalized by the discovery of the constructions they left behind. Incredible stone monuments survived them after their brutal decline in the middle of the 17th century. Between the 5th and 17th centuries, the RapaNui civilization, the inhabitants of Easter Island, experienced a period of prosperity and peace during which they constructed mysterious funeral sanctuaries: the Ahus (pronounced ahoo). These temples had open ceilings, and upon their floors were placed the celebrated Moaïs, monolithic statues, carved from black volcanic stone. In the animistic religion practiced by the RapaNui, the Moaïs represented ancestors that had gained divine status, and who watched over the villages guaranteeing the prosperity of the clan. The statues were grouped in clusters, almost always on coastal areas, their eyes looking protectively inwards towards the heart of the island. The RapaNui built more than 600 statues, weighing between 10 to 80 tons, placed expertly over more than 270 Ahus. Over 13 centuries, the different clans on the island were able to live in equilibrium and harmony in a fragile ecosystem. It is estimated that during their golden age, the population of the island counted between 10,000 to 20,000 individuals. There must have been a rigid social and religious system capable of managing the limited resources and territories.