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Megalithic statue (moai) production on Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile)
Carl Philipp Lipo1, Terry L Hunt2, Gina Pakarati3
1Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, United States of America.
Plos One
|November 26, 2025
Summary
Rapa Nui statue production at Rano Raraku quarry was decentralized, mirroring the island
Area of Science:
- Archaeological science
- Anthropology
- Cultural heritage management
Background:
- Rapa Nui (Easter Island) society is believed to have been politically decentralized.
- The production of over 1,000 monumental statues (moai) at Rano Raraku quarry presents a key question regarding centralized vs. decentralized control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test competing hypotheses of centralized versus decentralized moai production at Rano Raraku quarry.
- To create a comprehensive 3D model of the quarry for spatial analysis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry with over 11,000 UAV images.
- Developed a high-resolution 3D model of the Rano Raraku quarry.
- Analyzed the spatial distribution of quarrying features.
Main Results:
- Identified 30 distinct quarrying foci across the Rano Raraku crater.
- Revealed redundant production features and varied carving techniques within foci.
- Demonstrated evidence of multiple simultaneous workshops constrained by natural boundaries.
Conclusions:
- Moai production at Rano Raraku followed a decentralized, clan-based pattern, consistent with other Rapa Nui societal structures.
- Monumentality does not necessarily require hierarchical control, supporting models of complex cooperation via horizontal networks.
- The 3D model provides a baseline for cultural heritage management and advances archaeological landscape analysis.
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