US EditionPeer-Reviewed Study Finds Easter Island's Moai Were 'Walked' Upright Using Ropes
A team led by anthropologist Carl Lipo demonstrated that just 18 people could move a moai statue 100 meters in 40 minutes using ropes and a controlled rocking motion.
- Recently, a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science led by Carl P. Lipo, Professor of Anthropology, Binghamton University, and Terry Hunt, Archaeologist, University of Arizona, analysed nearly 1,000 moai, including 62 along ancient roads, concluding they were moved upright using rope and small teams.
- Design analysis shows wide D-shaped bases and a forward tilt that made rocking movement feasible, while Rapa Nui roads, about 4.5 meters wide with a concave cross-section, stabilized moai statues.
- Experimental trials showed a 4.35-metric-ton replica moai and a team of 18 people moved it 100 meters in 40 minutes, confirming the walking method's efficiency.
- The study reframes long-standing views by showing the walking model best explains the evidence and honours the Rapa Nui people as skilled engineers, replacing myths of a self-destructive culture.
- The findings also match Rapa Nui oral traditions, noting the statues `walking` and Lipo challenged critics to `Find some evidence that shows it couldn't be walking`, adding `The physics makes sense`.
21 Articles
21 Articles
For a long time researchers discussed how the inhabitants of Easter Island could transport their famous statues. It was probably easier than expected.
Scientists just proved the moai could walk, solving a 500-year mystery
Researchers confirmed that Rapa Nui’s moai statues could “walk” upright using a rocking motion, aided by rope and just a few people. Experiments with replicas and 3D models revealed design features like a forward lean and curved bases that made movement possible. Concave roads across the island further supported this transport method. The findings celebrate the innovation and intelligence of the ancient islanders.
In 2013, a team of archaeologists led by Carl Lipo of the University of Binghamton and Terry Hunt of the University of Arizona published a study that responded to an archaeological riddle: how the ancient rapanui could move the moais, their gigantic statues of several tons, across Easter Island. Their inhabitants carved most of the sculptures in the Rano Raraku volcano quarry and some of them were transported up to a distance of 16-18 kilometers…
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