moai statues easter island chile

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Sunset at Ahu Tahai, site with moai statues at Easter Island, Chile Royalty Free Stock Photo

Moai statues, Easter Island, Chile Royalty Free Stock Photo

Trails on the slope of Rano Raraku volcano leading to a large group of abandoned huge Moai statues, Easter island, Chile Royalty Free Stock Photo

Moai are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people on the Chilean Polynesian island of Easter Island between the years 1250 and 1500 CE. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry, but hundreds were transported from there and set on stone platforms called ahu around the island's perimeter. Almost all moai have overly large heads three-eighths the size of the whole statue. The moai are chiefly the living faces of deified ancestors. The statues still gazed inland across their clan lands when Europeans first visited the island, but most were cast down during later conflicts between clans.