Easter Island statues, traditionally so-called Handsome on the remote island of Rapa Nui in the South Pacific, are some of the most impressive artifacts of the age-old Polynesian civilization. How the statues were transported has long been a mystery, as they can weigh up to several tons and yet are scattered across the island. Various theories have been proposed, including that they were pulled on wooden sleds or rolled on the ground, but no evidence supports these claims.
In 2012, an American research team managed to support a 4.35-ton replica of a moai statue and make it “walk”. The technique, in which two teams used ropes to pull the statue in opposite directions to tilt it forward while a third team kept it from tipping over, challenges conventional theories that the moai was moved in a horizontal position.
The question, then, is how much effort it would take to relocate much larger moai. “When the moai are moving, it’s not difficult at all.” explained Carl Lipo, an anthropologist at Binghamton University.
Lipo and his team systematically examined 962 moai statues on Easter Island, focusing mainly on 62 found along age-old roads. They recently published paper providing forceful evidence that the moai were transported in an upright position.
The team also managed to move an exact replica of a roadside moai 100 meters in 40 minutes using just 18 people, a much better result than previous experiments.
Scientists show how people from Rapa Nui could “walk” on moai.
Traffic rules
The study found that moai statues along Rapa Nui’s roads share common features. The wide D-shaped base and forward-tilting design of the statues optimized the moai to “walk” even as they grew. In fact, moai abandoned on the side of the road have been found to have an unbalanced center of gravity and show signs of tipping over during transport.
This hypothesis is also confirmed by the age-old roads themselves, which are about 4.5 meters wide and have a slightly concave cross-section. Scientists believe these were ideal conditions that helped stabilize the moai as they walked.
Statistical analysis of moai distribution showed that 51.6% of moai were concentrated within 2 kilometers of the quarry from which they were created, indicating an exponential distribution pattern related to mechanical failure rather than intentional, ceremonial placement. It is likely that the statues were damaged or fell over during transport and left where they were.