Vasari Art Codex

article news schedule Oct 13, 2025 visibility 1

massive moai statues walked to platforms easter island new study 1234756846

A new study in the Journal of Archaeological Science by archaeologists Carl Lipo of Binghamton University and Terry Hunt of the University of Arizona proposes that the 92-ton moai statues on Easter Island, Chile, were transported in a vertical position using ropes to “walk” them onto their stone platforms. The research combines three-dimensional modeling, field experiments with a scaled replica, and analysis of 62 abandoned statues along ancient roads, finding that wider bases and a forward lean of 6–15 degrees enabled a rocking motion that allowed a team of 18 people to move a statue 328 feet in about 40 minutes.

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article news schedule Dec 1, 2025 visibility 2

easter island 3d map carved statues 2721596

Researchers from Binghamton University, at the request of an indigenous community group on Easter Island, have created a high-resolution 3D model of the Rono Raraku quarry, where 95 percent of the island's moai statues were carved. Using drone flights and over 11,000 overlapping photographs stitched together via photogrammetry, the model documents the quarry in unprecedented detail, including 133 quarried voids, 400-plus unfinished moai, and evidence of 30 distinct clan-based carving areas. The model is freely available online and was motivated by a 2022 wildfire that threatened the site.

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article news schedule Aug 20, 2025

rapa nui easter island moai statues sea levels flooding 1234749640

A new study published in the Journal of Cultural Heritage warns that rising sea levels will impact Chile’s Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, by 2080. Coastal flooding threatens at least 51 culturally significant artifacts, including the iconic Moai statues—nearly 1,000 volcanic tuff figures created by a native Polynesian tribe over 500 years ago, some weighing up to 80 tons. Researchers from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa used advanced computer models to simulate wave patterns and map projected flooding, overlaying this data with the locations of cultural assets provided by local partners.

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