One of the world’s most famous archaeological mysteries finally has a scientific explanation. US scientists said they have solved the mystery of how the ancient inhabitants of Easter Island carried giant stone Moai statues weighing up to 80 tons almost a thousand years ago.
Using 3D modeling and real-life experiments, anthropologists discovered that the statues can actually “walk,” according to the Daily Mail. Researchers concluded that the Rapa Nui people used strong ropes to swing the moai from side to side, thus propelling them forward in a zigzag pattern. This method allowed small groups of people to transport huge statues over long distances without significant effort.
“Once you figure out how to move the statue, it’s not difficult at all; people pull the rope with one hand,” said Professor Carl Lipo of Binghamton University, one of the authors of the study. According to him, the movement of the statues resembled a slight oscillation, which turned into a steady gait.
To test the hypothesis, scientists created an exact replica of the Moai’s head weighing 4.3 tons. 18 people participated in the experiment and they managed to move the statue one hundred meters in just forty minutes. “The physics makes sense, and our observations fully confirm this. The larger the object, the more stable it is for it to move this way,” Lipo said.
Computer simulations showed that the ancient masters designed the sculptures with movement in mind. Its wide, D-shaped base and forward tilt allowed the moai to “step” when swung. Moreover, the roads on which the statues were transported had a special concave shape that stabilized the movement.
Interestingly, new scientific data coincides with ancient oral traditions of islanders who claim that stone giants “walked” from the carving site to their final location. This is also confirmed by archaeological finds – along ancient roads, statues were found that apparently fell during transportation, and traces of digging are visible under their “feet”.
By the way, we previously wrote that during excavations in the settlement of Akhetaten, where the builders of the royal tombs lived, archaeologists discovered a mysterious ancient artifact that is about three thousand years old. Read more here.
Source: People Talk
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
