Moai statues were considered by the early people of Rapa Nui as their ancestors or Tupuna that were believed to be the reincarnation of important kings or leaders of their clans.

[1] Ahu Akivi, aligned in an east–west direction,[2] is located on the flank of the southern slope of Maunga Terevaka at Rapauni and it is surrounded by fairly flat agricultural land.

[3] From Hanga Roa, an inland road leads to the site via the volcanic cone of Terevaka (510 metres (1,670 ft) peak level).

[4] The site is located to the Northeast of Hanga Roa,[5] the capital city of Easter Island, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to its north.

[2] The Rano Raraku quarry from where the statues were made is at least 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away and free access is through the land route held by the clans.

The second phase of construction was elaborately planned and implemented in the early years of the 17th century when the platform was modified, a ramp was created, seven statues of equal size were erected.

It is also conjectured that the seven statues were placed at Ahu Akivi at least 150 years before the first Europeans found the island when the clan was functional at that time.

[3] In 1955, Thor Heyerdahl recruited American archaeologist William Mulloy and his Chilean associate, Gonzalo Figueroa García-Huidobro, who later restored the statues to their original position; they had found them in knocked down condition in 1960.

However, according to an oral tradition, Hotu Matu's priest had a dream in which the King's soul flew across the ocean when the Rapa Nui island was seen by him.

In the case of the Ahu Akivi all these features have been noted except that the rear part of the platform is made of crude masonry wall.