Anna Hartz
For centuries, Easter Island has fascinated the world. Thousands of people have wondered how the massive stone statues, known as Moai, were built and who made them.
These giant figures have stood in silence for hundreds of years, guarding secrets of a remote island in the South Pacific. Now, scientists say they have finally solved part of the mystery.
Researchers at Binghamton University in the United States studied the island’s main quarry, Rano Raraku, and discovered that the Moai were not carved by a single ruler or a huge workforce, according to Ziare. Instead, small clans or individual families created the statues. Each team usually had just four to six people working on a single Moai.
A 3D Map
In the past, scholars thought moving and carving statues weighing 12 to 80 tons would have required hundreds of workers. Using a new 3D model of the quarry, the researchers identified 30 distinct workshops.
Each workshop had its own style and preferred areas to dig. Professor Carl Lipo, lead author of the study, said the workshops lined up next to each other and belonged to different clan groups.
The team used drones to take about 22,000 photographs and built a detailed 3D map of the site. This allowed them to see areas that were impossible to study on the ground. The map revealed how different each workshop was, from carving techniques to artistic details. Some Moai even have feminine features, showing that groups had creative freedom and negotiated access to the quarry.
Rapa Nui Statues Were Carved and Moved
The study also shows how the statues were moved. Earlier theories suggested hundreds of people dragged them on their backs. Experiments now show small teams used ropes to swing the statues forward in a “walking” motion. Roads were designed to stabilize the heads. With only 18 people, a Moai could be “walked” over long distances.
Making a statue required just four to six sculptors and 10 to 20 helpers for tools and supplies. Professor Lipo says this changes how we understand the society. Large monuments do not necessarily mean a powerful ruler or huge workforce. Instead, small groups of people working together could achieve remarkable feats.
This research helps explain how the Rapa Nui people carved and moved nearly 1,000 statues across their island. It shows that cooperation, skill, and clever techniques made these giants possible.
Sources: Ziare
