Moai

Moai are monumental statues created by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Most were carved from volcanic tuff at the Rano Raraku quarry between roughly the 13th and 16th centuries, and hundreds of statues were produced in total. Today, many moai stand along the island’s coastline on stone platforms called ahu, while others lie toppled or unfinished. The term moai is used for both singular and plural in common usage.

The statues are typically stylized human figures with prominent heads and broad noses, often with elongated ears and heavy brows. Many wear a topknot, or pukao, made from red scoria quarried at Puna Pau. Eyes—originally inlaid with coral and obsidian—were added after the statues were placed on their ahu. The heads account for a large portion of each statue’s height, and the bodies are usually carved in a simplified form, sometimes with carved torsos or arms.

Moai were transported from the quarry to the coastal platforms and erected facing inland toward villages and settlements. Ahu platforms served as ceremonial centers, and the statues are believed to represent deified ancestors or important figures who protected the communities. The methods used to move the statues—whether by ropes, rollers, or other systems—are the subject of ongoing study and experimentation.

Following European contact, population decline, disease, and slave raids led to social upheaval, and many moai were toppled. In the 20th century, some were re-erected or repaired. The moai and the surrounding landscape are part of the Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, and remain a focus of archaeological research and cultural heritage conservation.