Easter Island Statues explores the compelling history of the moai, the iconic stone statues of Rapa Nui. It delves into how this isolated Polynesian culture managed to carve, transport, and erect these monumental structures, some weighing over 80 tons, without modern technology.
The book examines the quarrying process at Rano Raraku, the transportation methods across the island's varied terrain, and the techniques used to raise the moai onto their ahu. The approach emphasizes that the creation of the moai was deeply intertwined with Rapa Nui's social organization and belief systems.
It challenges older theories focusing on resource depletion by presenting sustainable and collaborative practices employed by the islanders. The book progresses from introducing the moai and their construction to exploring transportation theories and the eventual decline of statue construction, reassessing Rapa Nui history through archaeological evidence and historical accounts.
