✦ The Ancient Atlas

Moai of Easter Island (Rapa Nui)

MegalithicPacificChile (Rapa Nui)c. 1100 CERapa Nui

Nearly 1,000 monolithic statues averaging 4m tall and 12.5 tons. Carved from volcanic tuff at Rano Raraku quarry. How they were transported across the island remains debated.

-27.1127°, -109.3497°

Look Closer — this site carries open questions: stones heavier than the period's tools could lift. See scale across the Atlas →
Open in the Atlas map →

Walkthrough videos (7)

Walking with Giants: How the Easter Island Moai Moved | Nat GeoWalking with Giants: How the Easter Island Moai Moved | Nat Geo · National GeographicMaking Easter Island Statues Walk (BBC)Making Easter Island Statues Walk (BBC) · BBC GlobalWhere Did the Easter Island Statues Come from? | BBC EarthWhere Did the Easter Island Statues Come from? | BBC Earth · BBC GlobalA new unit of megalithic measure — Easter Island | Secrets in StoneA new unit of megalithic measure — Easter Island | Secrets in Stone · Secrets in StoneBasalt 'toki' tool from Easter Island | Secrets in StoneBasalt 'toki' tool from Easter Island | Secrets in Stone · Secrets in StonePrivate collection obsidian mata'a from Easter Island | Secrets in StonePrivate collection obsidian mata'a from Easter Island | Secrets in Stone · Secrets in StoneA Thorough Exploration Of Easter Island: Who Was There Before The Polynesians?A Thorough Exploration Of Easter Island: Who Was There Before The Polynesians? · Brien Foerster

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