moaipatsaat

Moaipatsaat, known in English as Moai statues, are monumental stone figures on Easter Island (Rapa Nui), a Chilean territory in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Carved by the Rapa Nui people between roughly the 13th and 16th centuries, the statues depict stylized human figures that are commonly interpreted as ancestral beings or chiefs.

Most moai are carved from volcanic tuff quarried at Rano Raraku. They typically feature oversized heads with broad noses, elongated ears, and heavy brow ridges, while the torsos are carved down to the hips. Many statues bear a Pukao, a cylindrical topknot made from red scoria that sits atop the head. Eyes were originally inlaid with coral and obsidian, though many have lost these features over time.

Moai vary in height from about 1.5 meters to nearly 10 meters, and weights range from several tons to tens of tons. There are hundreds of moai on the island, with many standing on stone ceremonial platforms called ahu along the coast and facing inland toward the communities they are thought to protect.

Construction and transport involved substantial labor and organization. The exact method of moving the statues from the quarry to the ahu is a matter of debate, with hypotheses including the use of log rollers, ropes and levers, and possibly a “walking” motion. The statues were then raised on or near ahu platforms and erected as part of ritual and political practices.

Moaipatsaat are regarded as representations of ancestors who safeguarded the living communities. Following European contact, many statues were toppled or moved, and some were relocated for preservation. The site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 as part of Rapa Nui National Park, and today the moai remain a focal point of archaeological research, tourism, and Polynesian cultural heritage.