Both the lecturer and the reading passage discuss moai, a monolithic stone statue in the shape of human figures on Easter Island. The lecturer casts doubt on the author's assertion on plausible theories to explain the construction of moai, by presenting three counter-arguments.
First, the lecturer asserts that it is unlikely that moai is built to celebrate the victory of an annual competition between rival chiefs. This is because more satues were found than just one statue per year. To be specific, if annual competition occured during the 500 years of its existance, 500 pieces of statue should be excavated and not 900 statues. This counters the author's claim that a moai is constructed to celebrate the winners of an annual competition between the chiefs.
Second, the lecturer claims that the explanation that moai was used for communication between humans and the gods, is unconvincing. This is because moai was not only looking into the sky, facing the gods in the heaven, but many were looking down and forwards. Moreover, there were no remains of religious ceremonies or rituals at the Easter Island. This refutes the author's claim that moai, often looking into the sky, is made to interact with gods in the heaven.
Lastly, the lecturer maintains that it is controversial that moai is built to venerate the ancestors of the island's residents who came from the west. He says hat many statues are facing at different directions and even the exact opposite direction from where their ancestors came from. This refutes the author's assertion that the statues face directly west to honor the ancestors who came to the island. |