Ancient Statues of Easter Island, Known as Moais, Moved Towards Their End Points

In the remote Pacific island of Easter Island, a long-standing enigma has been solved: how the massive stone statues, known as Moai, were moved across the island without the aid of modern machinery.

The heaviest Moai weighs more than 80 tons and stands up to 10 meters tall. Yet, the method of transporting these colossal statues is simple, cheap, and extremely efficient, requiring minimal effort.

Researchers have discovered that the Moai were transported in a vertical position, with three ropes tied to the neck of the figure: one to the left, one to the right, and one backwards to keep it balanced. To make the Moai walk, they were tilted slightly to one side while the opposite side pulled the rope towards their side.

This ingenious solution avoids friction forces on the contact surface because the sliding is extremely small. The Moai leaned slightly forward with each tilt cycle, pivoting around the corner they were sitting, generating a walk-like movement.

The force exerted by gravity helps in the Moai walking solution to avoid the statue from falling and breaking apart. On the Moai's soil path, the friction coefficient might be greater than 0.8, making the walking solution even more remarkable.

Rolling logs between the statue and the soil would require less force to pull the load, but would stick on the path, making advancement difficult. The Moai walking solution, therefore, is a demonstration of how an extremely difficult displacement could be performed using the mechanical properties of the system in its favor.

It's important to note that this discovery in archaeology is not a breakthrough in mechanical engineering. Theories of Moai transportation involving auxiliary elements like wooden sledges or logs used as wheels or rollers are less efficient from a mechanical point of view.

The Moais are megalithic statues built by the Rapa Nui people between the 12 and 17 centuries on Easter Island. There are over 1,000 Moais on Easter Island, and some were transported for more than 15 km.

Despite the island being deforested around the 16th century, the Moais were still transported, showcasing the ingenuity and resilience of the Rapa Nui people. The identities of the researchers who discovered the method to move the Moai statues remain unnamed in the provided search results.

In conclusion, the Moai transportation mystery on Easter Island has been solved, providing insights into the ingenious methods used by ancient civilizations to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Ancient Statues of Easter Island, Known as Moais, Moved Towards Their End Points