Easter Island’s statues may have been ‘walked’ to their location

I find this hard to believe that people swayed this many statues back and forth to get them to their locations. But....

Using the ropes, islanders would stand on each side of the statues, swaying them back and forth to create the walking effect.

I guess it is amazing what people can do when they aren't glued in front of the t.v.

"You're actually putting a lot of your effort into the process of moving a statue rather than fighting," Lipo said. "Moving the moai was a little bit like playing a football game."

But the question remains why the people did this?]

"With the physics of the taller statue, you have greater leverage," he said. "It almost gets to the point where you would have to do it that way."

Source

The link doesn't seem to be working for me for your source....could u please fix

Thank you

reply to post by Doodle19815


I'm interested,but your link is on the blitz....Did you see the carvings below ground on the statues?

Originally posted by SarnholeOntarable
reply to post by Doodle19815

 

I'm interested,but your link is on the blitz....Did you see the carvings below ground on the statues?

How Easter Island's statues walked

Dang Karma, Just had to point out to another member that his source was missing. Came back to bite me in the butt.
Got it fixed now.

reply to post by SarnholeOntarable

Link to thread
I did, which leads me to believe there is more to the story. I don't understand why a people would move all of these statues to places around the island. Can you even imagine the undertaking this would be. It surely would have involved all of the peoples resources to make this happen.

These things are HUGE! I can just picture watching one of these things sway back and forth down the road to it's final resting place.

How did they make them? Who cares how they moved them

reply to post by Doodle19815


I would imagine there was a lush forest there at one point...and the landscape was probably more level to be able to roll the face chunks to their resting spots....maybe carve in place...Im in awe like lake tittycaca

reply to post by dayve


Actually, you raise a good point. I have often wondered if they didn't just move a huge block to the spot and carve it there. That makes more sense to me. Carving the block on the spot shouldn't have been that hard but moving an already finished work of art would be hair raising.

The only problem with this idea of how they got into place is that they are not just heads are they!











Like to the easter island statue project
www.eisp.org...

They were made at the quarry at Rano Raraku. There are number of unfinished ones still there awaiting the return of their carvers.......

They used stones to bash them out, the stone there is relatively soft and the tools are still scattered around the quarry sites.

Ah and I note that Terry was involved. I met him on Rapa Nui the last time I was there. We went thru the same program at the UH, but he was few years back from me

If you want good books on Easter Island and its archaeology I can recommend those that he writes on the subject

Thanks for the input guys. These statues call to me for some reason. They say come, see, feel, listen to our story. I would love to travel there and actually lay hands on one of these guys. Maybe after the kids move out and I retire.

Hanslune, I know that they were carved and then moved, but WHY? It would have been so much easier to carve at the final destination, (IMO).Why would a people carve these huge heavy masterpieces and then move them. Thank god I wasn't there to see that. I about pissed my pants watching the movers load my furniture into their truck, and it was nothing like a statue that took years to carve.

I think I need to check into some of those books you mentioned. I have loved the statues for years, and soak up any pics I can. Just looking at the pics Loopdaloop posted speaks to me in a way I can't describe.

reply to post by Loopdaloop



Yea, I was just going to post that'
The Easter Island “Heads” Have Bodies

The tools found on the Island were not used to carve these Moai. The origional carvers used a technology that was also used in South America. It was a pistol like device that emmited energy of some sort. The Island people then tried to emulate the origional builders. The tools were abandoned because they were insufficient for the job. Thats also why some of the Moai are still atttached to the volcanos.

Originally posted by Doodle19815
Thanks for the input guys. These statues call to me for some reason. They say come, see, feel, listen to our story. I would love to travel there and actually lay hands on one of these guys. Maybe after the kids move out and I retire.

Hanslune, I know that they were carved and then moved, but WHY? It would have been so much easier to carve at the final destination, (IMO).Why would a people carve these huge heavy masterpieces and then move them. Thank god I wasn't there to see that. I about pissed my pants watching the movers load my furniture into their truck, and it was nothing like a statue that took years to carve.

I think I need to check into some of those books you mentioned. I have loved the statues for years, and soak up any pics I can. Just looking at the pics Loopdaloop posted speaks to me in a way I can't describe.

I believe it was Routledge who noted that the Moai represented an acutal person, a shaman or headman. Each clan had their own ahu where these statues were put. It was thought they gave/had magical powers to protect their descendents. When civil war destroyed Rapa Nui both sides knocked down the Moai of their enemies.

Religion is a powerful motivating force, so to a belief in magic

reply to post by Oannes


That is interesting, I have never heard that theory before. Any links that I could read up on would be appreciated. I find myself wanting to read up more on these fascinating statues.

reply to post by Hanslune


Religion is very powerful motivation indeed. You just have to look at the Vatican for proof of that.

Would you support the theory that the statues were "walked" to their destination?

Originally posted by Doodle19815
reply to post by Hanslune

 

Religion is very powerful motivation indeed. You just have to look at the Vatican for proof of that.

Would you support the theory that the statues were "walked" to their destination?

It's certainly possible but I'd go with the sled and drag technique

reply to post by Hanslune


I would say they used both, in the early days when there were trees on the island they could have used sleds or rollers or some such technique. But by the time moai construction stopped all of the trees were gone , so I think by that time they may have made the transition to the " walking technique.

Originally posted by punkinworks10
reply to post by Hanslune

 

I would say they used both, in the early days when there were trees on the island they could have used sleds or rollers or some such technique. But by the time moai construction stopped all of the trees were gone , so I think by that time they may have made the transition to the " walking technique.

That is true, both systems may have been used, with the walking evolving after the trees were gone. Over the last twenty or so years, based on partical experience, people have moved away from the idea of rollers. Rollers tend to get crushed while sleds can make use of the compressiabilty of wood to take the strain while rollers would be crushed when subjected to the same weight.