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Video: Scientists Make Easter Island Statue Walk
Easter Island is a remote and mysterious place best known for the iconic and other worldly stone faces that dot its landscape. More than 880 of those statues, known as moai, are spread out across the island, some of which weigh in excess of 80 tons and stand more than 10 meters in height. One of the enduring mysteries of the moai is just how they were carved and then moved miles away from the stone quarry. Now two archaeologists believe that they have come up with the answer, which you can see demonstrated in the video below.Terry Hunt and Carl Lipo believe that the inhabitants of Easter Island used ropes to rock the statues back and forth. This built forward momentum could then be used to "walk" the stone figures to their permanent sites. The duo put their theory to the test with a moai replica last year and was able to maneuver the large statue with as few as 18 people. As you can see from the video, which comes to us from National Geographic, this seems to be an efficient and quick way to move heavy objects.
So what do you think? Is this how the moai were moved about the island? Have Hunt and Lipo solved one of the great archaeological mysteries of all time?
Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, South America, Chile, Video, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Steve Trimboli Jun 27th 2012 8:48AM
But why build them in the first place? And why have them by the shore looking out to sea? Trying to keep 'something" away?
John Jun 27th 2012 10:23AM
This would make sence on many levels. Making the statues walk would have significant spiritual value to the creators, the walking protectors marching thier way to the cliffs and shores must have been quite the sight. Hewing them from the earth mother and isle itself then making them into either centurions, gods, protectors or greeters. There is a whole chapter missing here, probably never to be known. I still personally think they were testimony to gods that came down to visit, what ever happened to compell this civilization to create these moia, had such an impact on the people that they became obsessed with the event and to commemorate it with permanent images. If only we could go back in time to discover all these civilizations and the incredible monoliths, the pyramid, the maya, aztec, gobekli tepi, puma punku, etc. How I yearn to know the truth.
ron Jun 27th 2012 1:34PM
Yup, the gods came down alright. That must have been quite a sight. There were 256 of them. (No, I don't have any reason as to why it was 256, but I know it was 256.)
Bob Jun 27th 2012 1:25PM
Hey Sandra, Can you tell me what this has to do with how the moai were moved miles away from the stone quarry?
Kev Jun 27th 2012 3:28PM
Oh come on. That is silly. Everyone knows it was aliens that put them there.
Maggie Nov 6th 2012 1:33AM
Why does my memory go back to the work of Thor Heyerdahl? If I'm correct, he worked this out during his investigations at the island in 1955-56 and described the process in his book "Aku-Aku, The Secrets of Easter Island". I haven't got a copy of it now so would appreciate if anyone can confirm or correct this.