Who carved the statues of Easter Island?

The moai of Easter Island were carved by the Rapa Nui people, Polynesian voyagers who settled the island centuries ago. They made the statues to honor important ancestors and leaders, placing many so those remembered figures faced the communities they were meant to protect.

Most began in one volcanic quarry, where workers tapped the stone with harder rock tools. Then teams used ropes to shift huge upright figures across the island, a careful rocking motion that helped the statues move without wheels or engines.