The Easter Island Moai were not created and moved around the island by extraterrestrials. They were sculptures carved in reverence for particular leaders in the community to protect the people. The story goes that the people who built the Moai believed that they were the only people in the whole world. Any invaders or bad people that would be coming would have to come from within the island – not by sea! So the Moai face inwards. All of the Moai on the island were produced from basalt rock only available from this mountain. They were moved upwards of fifteen miles along roads using palm trees as rollers or were walked to their final place using many men with ropes. On this mountain were Moai in various stages of completion. If a Moai fell over during the moving process, they were often left by the side the road being too heavy to upright again. All of the Moai were carved on their backs and then slid down the mountain to a standing upright and walked to their final location. Each Moai has a unique personality and were modeled after real people.
Now a national park and well maintained and protected.
Moai marching down to the road.
Moais were carved from these cave-like holes in the rock.
Carved in a horizontal position and then lifted up on the way down the mountain.
The oldest Moai. Notice it doesn’t look like the others. The artistic skills increased as more sculptures were carved.
If a Moai fell during the love down the mountain, it was pushed off to the side of the road and left.
The only basalt rock on the island and the factory for the Moai.
Modi factory mountain.