For generations, the massive moai of Easter Island, called Rapa Nui by the locals, have stood in quiet testimony to one of archaeology’s longest-standing mysteries. How did an island society, remote ...

A groundbreaking study published in October 2025 has confirmed that the iconic moai statues of Easter Island were moved into place by “walking” them upright using ropes. This discovery resolves a long ...

The gargantuan heads of Easter Island may have finally tacked on an artist credit — or several, it turns out. The over 900 statues on Rapa Nui, the indigenous name for the Chilean territory, had long ...

Archaeologists say a 3D model of a centuries-old quarry of unfinished stone head statues on Easter Island offers new clues about how these monuments were made and the Polynesian society that brought ...

Conducting research on the main quarry of Easter Island is challenging in ordinary circumstances. The easternmost Polynesian island is a six-hour flight from the nearest airport and reaching parts of ...

Easter Island statues, traditionally known as moai on the remote island of Rapa Nui in the South Pacific, are some of the most impressive artifacts of ancient Polynesian civilization. How the statues ...