Unfinished moai attached to bedrock by “keels” along their backs demonstrate how carvers worked underneath from both sides until figures were separated from the source material. This production stage, ...

Binghamton University archaeologists have released a new interactive, 3D model of the Moai statue quarry on Rapa Nui (Easter ...

Rano Raraku, a steep-sided crater on the southeastern coast of Rapa Nui (as locals call the island), was the heart of moai ...

A sweeping 3D analysis of Rapa Nui’s main moai quarry shows that the island’s iconic statues weren’t produced by a single ruling authority, but by many small, independent groups working simultaneously ...

We’re documenting something that really has needed to be documented, but in a way that’s really comprehensive and shareable.” ...

A first-of-its-kind high-resolution 3D model now lets anyone explore Easter Island’s Rano Raraku quarry up close. The ...

New 3D scans of Easter Island’s main quarry are turning a familiar mystery into a far more intricate story of labor, logistics, and landscape engineering. Instead of a single chaotic pit, the digital ...

A high-resolution 3D model of Rano Raraku shows that the moai were created in many distinct carving zones. Instead of a ...

Researchers confirmed that Rapa Nui’s moai statues could “walk” upright using a rocking motion, aided by rope and just a few people. Experiments with replicas and 3D models revealed design features ...

The "walking moai hypothesis" could end a long-time debate over how ancient engineers moved these iconic statues around Easter Island. Reading time 3 minutes The moai statues of Easter Island have ...

Archaeologists studied hundreds of unfinished stone heads in a quarry on Easter Island to better understand how they were ...

Jenny Lehmann is an assistant editor at Discover Magazine who writes articles on microbiology, psychology, neurology, and zoology, and oversees the Piece of Mind column of the print issue. View Full ...