Did the Giant Heads of Easter Island Once Walk?

The New York TimesWednesday, November 26, 2025 at 3:00:13 PM
NeutralScience
Did the Giant Heads of Easter Island Once Walk?
  • A new study suggests that the giant stone figures of Rapa Nui, known as moai, were carved from compacted ash in the Rano Raraku volcano between A.D. 1200 and 1700. This research contributes to the ongoing debate regarding the transportation methods of these massive statues across Easter Island.
  • Understanding how the moai were moved and erected is crucial for comprehending the cultural and historical significance of Rapa Nui. It sheds light on the ingenuity of the island's inhabitants and their ability to create and manipulate large-scale structures.
— via World Pulse Now AI Editorial System

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Easter Island statues may have been built by small independent groups
NeutralScience
Recent mapping of the main quarry on Easter Island has revealed that the giant statues, known as moai, may have been constructed by small independent groups rather than under the direction of a single chief. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the social organization of the Rapa Nui people during the statue-building period.