It’s not known exactly why the bodies were buried – Were they buried on purpose? Or were they buried as a result of time and erosion? It is however known that the figures were carved between the years 1250 and 1500 by the Rapa Nui people.
The remote island - one of the remotest in the world, tucked away in the South Pacific Ocean - was once home to a Polynesian population, whose history remains mysterious.
They likely sailed to the islands in canoes - a 1,500-mile journey over the open waters, and then, once they landed, they began relentessly carving the stone statues.
This led to their own downfall: By the time Europeans discovered the island in the 1700s, the population had decimated nearly all the trees in the island to help with the statue construction, and the knock-on effect on the island's ecology led to their decline.
This led to their own downfall: By the time Europeans discovered the island in the 1700s, the population had decimated nearly all the trees in the island to help with the statue construction, and the knock-on effect on the island's ecology led to their decline.
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A PBS or Discovery show recently documented how the heads+torsos could have been moved upright with ropes and eight strong humans from their quarries to intended sites. Their conclusion was that the "racial memory" of the folktales and science coincided...
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