Easter Island's moai statues may have walked to where they now stand

undefined 21, 2025

Source: wired

Researchers found strong evidence that Easter Island’s moai statues were moved upright by “walking” them with ropes. A team replicated this using 18 people to move a 4.35-ton statue 100 meters in 40 minutes. The moai’s D-shaped bases and forward lean helped balance them, and ancient concave roads likely aided movement. Over half the statues lie within 2 km of the quarry, suggesting many toppled during transport rather than being deliberately placed.

Share on