Easter Island – the land exactly where giant stone heads gaze distantly at the sea – is both a fascinating conundrum and a great microcosm of a society which moved to a new land, accidentally destroyed the ecosystem, and then at some point destroyed themselves.
Legend and tells us that the ancient monuments, which range in height from four to 33 feet, had been dragged into location from a distant quarry by Polynesian settlers, who sailed a thousand miles across the Pacific in canoes around AD800, ahead of practically immediately embarking on their campaign of building the mysterious monuments.
But one factor has always led to debate: how specifically did the tribe move the ‘moai’ – some of which weigh far more than 80 tons – to their final destinations without the benefit of modern technology.
Just taking my head for a walk: Three teams, one on every single side and one in the back, manage to maneuver an Easter Island statue replica down a road in Hawaii.
The 10-foot, 5-ton replica of an Easter Island ‘moai’ dances down the road, guided by teams on every side and behind it.
Archaeologists Carl Lipo of the University of California State University Lengthy Beach (left) and Terry Hunt of the University of Hawaii stand in front of the replica.
The descendents of the Polynesians are adamant the stones walked to their resting areas. But a new study, presented by National Geographic , suggests the Polynesians had some assist from a little rock ‘n’ roll… see the video below:
Sources and more information:
• Ancient Mysteries – Re: Easter Island’s statues may have been ‘walked’ to their
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 4:45 pm Location: Chicago Thu Jun 21, 2012 4:22 am ” by Domdabears Were the giant statues on Easter Island actually “walked” to their final resting spots? Researchers have unveiled a new theory that may redefine the historical understanding of how natives on Easter Island transported the iconic moai statues.
• How Easter Island’s statues walked
How Easter Island’s statues walked (C) Photo by Sheela Sharma Three teams, one on each side and one in the back, maneuver an Easter Island statue replica down a road in Hawaii, hinting that prehistoric farmers who didn’t have the wheel may have transported these statues in this manner. The experiment was led by archaeologists Terry Hunt and Carl…
• Hidden treat: The Easter Island heads also have BODIES
• Easter Island’s statues may have been ‘walked’ to their location