For many decades, scientists have tried to uncover the secret of building giant moai idols on one of the most mysterious islands - Easter. Researchers carefully studied not only the statues themselves, but also the area around them, trying to find an answer to the question of how the moai were transported, as well as how they ended up on their heads with multi-ton red stone pukao hats. The application of the laws of physics, methods of archeology and computer 3D modeling allowed, finally, to find a solution to this phenomenon.
The most mysterious island
Easter Island is fraught with many secrets and mysteries. For many years, scientists have been trying, one by one, to discover its secrets. An amazing civilization that existed on the island about two millennia ago left impressive moai figures to descendants. According to researchers, giant idols are deified figures of ancestors and relatives of the ancient Polynesians.
Aerial view of Easter Island.
According to research, the civilization itself practically ceased to exist long before the moment when a human foot set foot on the island. There were two versions of why this could happen: a murderous war that exterminated the tribes that existed on the island, and the depletion of the island's natural resources.
Easter Island.
However, the study of different types of spearheads "mata'a" made it possible to conclude that they were not a murder weapon, but could only injure the enemy. Therefore, the assumption about the disappearance of civilization as a result of war has not been confirmed.
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Spear tips of the mat'a.
Rather, there was a depletion of resources, and then the arrival of Europeans on the island with its actual occupation by slave traders. At that time, the moai culture had almost completely disappeared and was replaced by the more aggressive bird-man culture. Thus, somewhere in the middle of the 19th century, the remains of an ancient civilization were completely destroyed.
Mysterious idols seem to protect Easter Island.
The destruction of the culture itself and native speakers became the main difficulty in unraveling the secret of stone idols. Scientists were extremely worried about the appearance on the idols of pukao, these amazing hats weighing up to 15 tons each.
Mysterious idols from Easter Island.
The study of the gigantic sculptures showed that the torso and the hat contain different volcanic rocks, which are located at a very large distance from each other, in different parts of the island. American anthropologists have spent many years searching for clues and finally were able to answer the burning question about the mechanism of building moai idols.
Pukao can weigh up to 15 tons.
The researchers took into account not only the state of the surface and the presence of scratches and damage on the idols and their hats, but also all the artifacts found and the state of the island's soil.
Ancient moai scholars
As a result of scrupulous calculations, it was concluded that the only possible way to put the hat on the head of the idol. At the same time, the issue was solved with small forces: colossal deforestation and the participation of a large number of people in construction were not required.
At sunset, the idols look especially impressive.
The statues themselves turned out to be made in such a way that they had the ability to straighten up on their own, if there was not too much tilt. This made it possible to move the statues, slightly shifting them alternately in different directions. In this way, people today move large bulky objects, in small steps from side to side. The idols were slowly but surely moving over considerable distances.
Rano Roraku quarry. Stone statues were made here.
But the hats did not get to the idols completely ready. From the quarry where the pucao blanks were made, they were simply rolled, as evidenced by scratches on the surface. Already near the idol for which the hat was intended, the blank was finalized and, using a very simple method, put on the stone owner.
Majestic and mysterious idols.
The natives of Easter Island built a rather gentle slide from sand and rubble, then wrapped a rope around the pukao and tied it to an idol. Pulling out the free end, they lifted the hat up a hill, where it was simply turned on its side and placed on the head of the monument.
This is the method used by the ancient inhabitants of Easter Island, according to American anthropologists.
This version has found a lot of evidence: the remnants of slides near some of the lying idols, a recess in the pukao, with which the hat is held on the head. An additional confirmation was the fact that all the idols originally stood at a slight slope to the ground. It was this slope that made it possible to put on a hat on the monument, and then straighten it, simply by removing some stones from the back of the pedestal.
Memory of a lost civilization.
This method made it possible to do without the participation of a large number of people. To set up the giants, the ancient Polynesians used their sharp mind, the laws of physics, a handful of people and a small amount of natural resources. And they left a memory of themselves for centuries.
Here the statues of Easter Island were born.