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During this time period (600-1450) two different traditions emerged in two different regions in the Pacific. The first was a people called the Rapa Nui of Easter Island carving the very first distinctive colossal stone figures called moai. The other tradition was the beginning of building artificial islands. On Pohnpei, a Micronesian island, around 1200 work began on the huge megalithic city called Nan Madol. These traditions involving skill and knowledge started a trend still pertinent to this day.
The carving of stone figures introduced a new idea. The building of these figures shows the development of a new art form on Easter Island. These very skillfully carved figures are still on that island today. These works of art have also found themselves in cartoons, particularly in that one episode of spongebob where he is trapped in jellyfish fields. Anyways, the work on Nan Madol on Pohnpei showed a new idea emerging in Micronesia concerning architecture.
The construction of these figures, along with the construction of these artificial islands shows progress in these societies concerning art and human intelligence. We as a society today don’t even know how to create islands, nor do we even know how to traverse the ocean by reading the waves. We rely on technology way more than past peoples and maybe our kind of ‘progress’ won’t be so beneficial as we had hoped.
The construction of the maoi in Easter island sparked others’ interest which led to the creation of 900 more maoi in the next five centuries. Also, mentioned earlier, the fact that these artifacts are still around today shows this trend that is still alive after all this time. Now, with the creation of islets (small islands) that is something you won’t see so prominent today. They were made by putting large rocks and fill on top of submerged coral reefs which formed raised platforms. These platforms supported Nan Madol along with other ceremonial or residential complexes. They aren’t here now, but they built more than ninety islets at the Nan Madol’s peak.
It is not easy to accomplish what the indigenous people of Micronesia and Easter Island did, but it can be easily appreciated. We still have these beautiful stone figures today, but over time we have lost the knowledge to construct our own islands and link them with a complicated network of canals. But, future excavations may reveal the knowledge needed to continue these past practices. For now all we can do is marvel at the skillful peoples of the Pacific have accomplished
The carving of stone figures introduced a new idea. The building of these figures shows the development of a new art form on Easter Island. These very skillfully carved figures are still on that island today. These works of art have also found themselves in cartoons, particularly in that one episode of spongebob where he is trapped in jellyfish fields. Anyways, the work on Nan Madol on Pohnpei showed a new idea emerging in Micronesia concerning architecture.
The construction of these figures, along with the construction of these artificial islands shows progress in these societies concerning art and human intelligence. We as a society today don’t even know how to create islands, nor do we even know how to traverse the ocean by reading the waves. We rely on technology way more than past peoples and maybe our kind of ‘progress’ won’t be so beneficial as we had hoped.
The construction of the maoi in Easter island sparked others’ interest which led to the creation of 900 more maoi in the next five centuries. Also, mentioned earlier, the fact that these artifacts are still around today shows this trend that is still alive after all this time. Now, with the creation of islets (small islands) that is something you won’t see so prominent today. They were made by putting large rocks and fill on top of submerged coral reefs which formed raised platforms. These platforms supported Nan Madol along with other ceremonial or residential complexes. They aren’t here now, but they built more than ninety islets at the Nan Madol’s peak.
It is not easy to accomplish what the indigenous people of Micronesia and Easter Island did, but it can be easily appreciated. We still have these beautiful stone figures today, but over time we have lost the knowledge to construct our own islands and link them with a complicated network of canals. But, future excavations may reveal the knowledge needed to continue these past practices. For now all we can do is marvel at the skillful peoples of the Pacific have accomplished