The moai of Rapa Nui remain one of the more evocative sights of the world. Something about these megatlithic sentinels, staring expectantly into the distance, touches the mystery inside us all. Why did the residents of this incredibly remote island carve them, why did they create so many, and how did they move them into place?
That last question might have been answered recently, with researchers finding evidence to support local folklore that the statues “walked” into place – their study found that the people of Rapa Nui likely used rope and ‘walked’ the giant statues in a zig-zag motion along carefully designed roads.
That same group group of researchers also created a 3D map of one of the main moai quarries on the island, Rano Raraku, which has close to 1,000 moai in or around it. After a wildfire swept through the quarry in late 2023, a local community group asked if the researchers could document the area in case it was permanently damaged in future. To map it, they conducted 30 drone flights that took 22,000 photos using Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry, which were then stitched together into a 3D model.
It took months of work – but, once completed, they then did something the internet was actually invented for: They put the 3D model online for anybody to explore, for free!
“As an archeologist, the quarry is like the archeological Disneyland,” said Binghamton University Professor of Anthropology Carl Lipo. “It has everything you can possibly imagine about moai construction, because that’s where they did most of the construction. It’s always been this treasure of information and cultural heritage, but it’s remarkably underdocumented.”
The new model allows visitors to zoom in and pan across various features of the quarry, both high and low, offering views that you wouldn’t be able to see even if you did make your way to Rapa Nui. The quarry itself is located in a volcanic crater that is too steep and rugged to safely traverse.
“You can see things that you couldn’t actually see on the ground. You can see tops and sides and all kinds of areas that just would never be able to walk to,” said Lipo.
Lipo said that the 3D model opens the door for things that were never possible: 1) it provides researchers with a three-dimensional replica that they can study and 2) it allows everyone to experience the island.
“We can say, ’Here, go look at it.’ If you want to see the different kinds of carving, fly around and see stuff there. So it’s really exciting to bring these two things together. We’re documenting something that really has needed to be documented, but in a way that’s really comprehensive and shareable.”
But, Lipo says, you should also go see this wonder of the world in person. Noting that some people on the island were concerned that three-dimensional models might diminish tourism to Rapa Nui, Lipo says “I think this actually will inspire people to go there. Because otherwise, you’re just seeing sort of snapshots of stuff. This is an incredible landscape of stuff that you could really go visit, that you’ll want to see.”
Paper: Megalithic statue (moai) production on Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile)
Link to 3D map: Three-Dimensional Mapping of the Moai (Statue) Quarry at Rano Raraku, Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile)
