The statues, known as moai, were carved by the island's indigenous Rapa Nui people to embody the spirit of a prominent ancestor, with each considered to be the person's living incarnation.
Among the many secrets buried in Easter Island prehistory is the question of how the Rapanui people transported the multi-ton statues, or moai, from their quarries to their final ceremonial ahu ...
All the energy and resources that went into the moai—which range in height from four to 33 feet and in weight to more than 80 tons—came from the island itself. Yet when Dutch explorers landed ...
Travelers have long been fascinated by the hundreds of massive moai, monolithic statues carved from volcanic rocks that are found across the island. These monoliths are just pieces of the Rapa Nui ...
In the spring of 1998, I was asked to take part in the filming of the NOVA film "Easter Island," during which experts examined hand methods for moving and erecting moai, the huge stone statues for ...