Row of moai statues on Easter Island against a blue sky

The real moai represent ancient religious leaders.

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Mystery Solved?

March 30, 2026
By Nicole Tocco

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

Meet the moai (MOH-eye). More than 900 of these towering statues stand on Easter Island, a remote island also known as Rapa Nui (RAH-puh NOO-ee). The statues were created between 400 and 900 years ago. The Rapa Nui people carved the moai out of the walls of a volcano. Then they moved the statues across the rocky island, as far as 11 miles. 

But the ancient Rapa Nui people didn’t have modern machinery or wheels. So how did they move the moai? Some stand more than 13 feet tall and weigh 28,000 pounds. Experts think the moai “walked.”

The Mysteries of Easter Island
Watch a video about mysterious statues carved hundreds of years ago on Easter Island.

On the Move

For many years, researchers thought the Rapa Nui laid the statues on wooden sleds and rolled them over logs. But many now believe the Rapa Nui used ropes and their own strength. Experts think they attached ropes to the heads of the moai, then tugged on the ropes. This rocked the statues from side to side, moving them forward.

Researchers from the University of Arizona and Binghamton University recently tested this idea. They built a life-sized model of a moai. Then they moved it forward by rocking it from side to side using ropes. 

Archaeologist Carl Lipo was one of the lead researchers. He says transporting the real moai was an amazing achievement. 

“It shows that the Rapa Nui people were incredibly smart,” Lipo says. “We have a lot to learn from them.” 

Carl Lipo

Researchers moved a moai model about 328 feet in 40 minutes. 

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