Partially carved moai at Rano Raraku
Moai on Easter Island all came from the same place – the side of the volcanic crater of Rano Raraku. Located on the northeast corner of the island, over half of the moai on the entire island are still found here.
The volcano side is studded with half-completed statues, some of which were abandoned because of hard rock inclusions in the relatively soft volcanic rock and others that weren’t finished for some other reason that remains a mystery.
The distance from Rano Raraku to the ahus on the southwest coast is over 10 miles, and how the large, heavy moai were transported that distance is still a subject of some scientific debate. Some argue that the moai were moved on a series of wooden rollers made from downed trees, while others suggest that the moai were “walked” upright by rocking them gently back and forth with long ropes.
However it happened, walking through Rano Raraku for an up-close view just heightens the mystery associated with the original settlers of Easter Island.
