Moai statues 'walked' to their platforms, study finds
New study reveals how Easter Island's massive Moai statues were moved: they walked.
Why it matters
- Challenges traditional narrative of ecological collapse due to statue transportation.
- Presents Rapanui people as resourceful and sophisticated engineers.
By the numbers
- 962 moai statues studied.
- Statues weigh between 12-14 tons (smaller) to over 80 tons (larger).
- 4.35-metric-ton replica used in the experiment.
- Roads had gentle slopes of 2-3%.
The big picture
- Walking theory supported by physical evidence and experimental validation.
- Refutes idea of deliberate placement of statues as ritual markers.
What they're saying
- Critics call the walking theory a stunt.
- Commenters recall earlier mentions of this theory and desire more experiments with larger statues.
Caveats
- Experiment conducted with smaller replica, not largest statues.
- Some critics still question validity of walking theory.
What’s next
- Further experiments with larger statues to validate the theory.