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What is the mystery of the moai?

Joe Ford

What is the mystery of the moai?

Archaeologists suggest that the statues were a representation of the Polynesian people’s ancestors. The Moai statues face away from the sea and towards the villages, by way of watching over the people. So here at Ahu Tongariki these Moai look over a flat village site.

Why is it a mystery how the moai statues were moved?

For centuries, scientists have tried to solve the mystery of how the colossal stone statues of Easter Island moved. They’ve observed that fat bellies allowed the statues to be tilted forward easily, and heavy, D-shaped bases could have allowed handlers to roll and rock the moai side to side.

What was the purpose of the Moai statues?

Moai statues were built to honor chieftain or other important people who had passed away. They were placed on rectangular stone platforms called ahu, which are tombs for the people that the statues represented.

What is so special about the moai?

The moai are believed to represent Rapa Nui ancestors One of the most iconic elements of Rapa Nui culture is the massive moai – the huge stone sculptures that represented the faces of worshipped ancestors. The bodies are buried underneath the ground with only the face and shoulders above ground.

Is the Easter Island Mystery solved?

Researchers say they’ve solved one of the mysteries behind the statues on Easter Island. A study published in the peer-reviewed journal PLoS One found the Rapa Nui, the ancient people who lived on Easter Island, built the location’s iconic monuments near freshwater sources along the coast.

What are 3 facts about the moai?

10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Moai Statues

  • 5 They’re Not Just Easter Island Heads, But Whole Bodies.
  • 6 Nearly All The Statues Face Away From The Sea.
  • 7 The Way The Statues Were Moved Is Still Debated.
  • 8 The Statues Were Once Torn Down.
  • 9 One Of The Statues Stands Out From The Rest.
  • 10 Each Moai Took A Year To Complete.

What is the main mystery of Easter Island?

Deforestation, slavery and rats were all factors in the Pacific island’s population decline. Most people have heard of the decimation of the population of Easter Island (also called Rapa Nui) and have seen pictures of the massive stone statues (moai) that line the coastline.

Is there bodies under Easter Island heads?

As a part of the Easter Island Statue Project, the team excavated two moai and discovered that each one had a body, proving, as the team excitedly explained in a letter, “that the ‘heads’ on the slope here are, in fact, full but incomplete statues.”

Does anyone live on Easter Island today?

Today, the people living on Easter Island are largely descendants of the ancient Rapa Nui (about 60%) and run the bulk of the tourism and conservation efforts on the island. Many locals living on Easter Island have livelihoods that involve the water—which makes sense!

Is Easter Island one of the Seven Wonders of the World?

HANGA ROA, Chile (Reuters) – On one of the world’s most remote outposts, Easter Island, inhabitants are adamant the giant stone statues that dominate their landscape should be recognised as one of the new seven wonders of the world. Chile annexed the island in 1888 and has governed it since.