The Easter Island Statues in Chile

July 8th, 2007 by Shenron

The Easter Island Statues off the coast of Chile are called the Moai, and they are carved from compressed volcanic ash. They are gigantic monoliths that weigh well over 70 tons in most cases, and are thought to have been constructed by Polynesian colonizers at around the eleventh or twelfth century, and were used as status symbols.

One incomplete Moai was 21 meters tall, and if erected would have been the tallest one to have been finished. There are 887 known Moai, however new techniques may uncover more and raise that number. Only 394 remain visible today, with fifty having been re-erected to their original sites. Plans for further erections of those that have fallen are in the works to fully restore the islands Moai if possible. Today tourism is possible and many people who can afford it visit the sites of the Moai.

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