I think maybe, your concentrating on a small part of the game, and overlooking the intended objective. The idea was to put in puzzles for the "Villagers" to complete, to enhance the game play.

The "Temple" resembles Stonehenge, while the Idol resembles the Moi on Easter Island. These are historic artifacts which today are a merely curiosities and carry none of the deeply spiritual meaning they did to the "peoples" who erected them in ancient times.