You know those giant human statues on Easter Island (the moai)? They were carved centuries ago from volcanic rock and stand up to 33 feet high, weighing up to 80 tons each. They are believed to embody the deified spirits of ancestors, but the big question is – how did the Polynesian settlers move the giant carvings up to 11 miles across the island without even having wheels?
One theory espoused by a National Geographic study says:
Last year, in experiments funded by National Geographic’s Expeditions Council, Hunt and Lipo showed that as few as 18 people could, with three strong ropes and a bit of practice, easily maneuver a 10-foot, 5-ton moai replica a few hundred yards. In real life, walking miles with much larger moai would have been a tense business. Dozens of fallen statues line the roads leading away from the quarry. But many more made it to their platforms intact.
