Many questions about celebrities Moai The statues on Chile’s Easter Island have long puzzled scholars – from their cultural significance to how they were made and transported.
a recent study journal of archaeological science Archaeologists Carl Lipo of Binghamton University and Terry Hunt of the University of Arizona theorize that the 92-ton statues were transported in a vertical position, with the movers using ropes to “walk” Moai Cross the island and reach their Ahuor platform.
This theory is supported by the oral tradition of the island’s indigenous Rapa Nui people, which mentions Moai “Walking” from the quarry where the statues were carved to their platform.
While Lipo had previously conducted preliminary field tests that showed the technology was feasible, his hypothesis also attracted criticism. His new paper addresses this question through new experimental evidence using a physical three-dimensional model of the statue, as well as new field tests that recreate the “walking” motion.
There are 962 in the database Moai Through field surveys and photogrammetric records, Libo and Hunter discovered 62 statues on the island, located on ancient traffic roads that seemed to have been abandoned during the “walk” process.
They found that compared to Moai Successfully installed in Ahuthe base of these statues is much wider relative to the width of the shoulders. The wider base creates a more stable foundation and lowers the center of gravity, making the statue more conducive to side-to-side “walking” motion without tipping over during transportation.
this Moai It also features a forward tilt of 6 to 15 degrees from a vertical position, moving the center of mass to a position closer to or slightly beyond the leading edge of the base. This engineering causes the statue to tip forward when tilted laterally, with the rounded front base edge acting as a critical pivot point. The rocking motion caused by a person pulling on several strong and well-placed ropes causes the statue to “take a step” forward.
Researchers believe the carvers modified the statues after reaching their respective platforms, cutting away rock from the front of the statues to eliminate the tilt used to move them. In doing so, they shift the center of mass to the bottom region, moving Moai Be in a more stable, upright position.
The team used 3D modeling to create a scale replica of such a model Moai Weighing 9,590 pounds, it has the same proportions and mass distribution. They found that it would take 18 people (4 on each side rope and 10 on the back rope) to swing the statue from side to side. If done correctly, it only takes 40 minutes to move the statue 328 feet.
However, it is possible that the statues were moved by smaller groups of people over a longer period of time. Once the “walking” motion begins, the statue becomes easier to move and requires fewer people to build momentum.
Lipo and Hunter wrote that the Rapa Nui’s use of this method “demonstrates a deep understanding of the principles of resonance,” a technique that exploits the gradual increase in amplitude.
The research draws on earlier work by Czech experimental archaeologist Pavel Pavel, who conducted similar experiments on Easter Island in the 1980s. He and his team were able to demonstrate a “walking” motion, but Pavel used Moai Already installed in Ahu used in his experiments and therefore the precut shapes analyzed by Lipo and Hunt were not considered.
The pair also inspected the road on which the statue was transported. They found that the concave shape of the road helps limit excessive rocking motion during vertical transportation. These roads have gradients of only 2 to 3 percent, and on rare steep sections, field experiments have shown that the gradient can be controlled with more controlled steps.
As for the abandoned Moai Lipo and Hunt, who used them in the study, believe they were left behind due to a mechanical failure during transportation.
