Many of you have probably seen iconic photos of the Easter Island heads. What you may not know is that these heads actually have bodies buried underground. Over time, the statues eroded and sank into sediments, leaving only the heads visible.
During excavations, archaeologists discovered etched petroglyphs on the backs of the figures, often in crescent shapes representing Polynesian canoes. These motifs likely symbolized the carver’s family, providing insights into the island’s familial or group structures.
The Easter Island heads, known as Moai by the Rapa Nui people who carved them, are located in the tropical South Pacific, directly west of Chile. The Moai monoliths, carved from stone found on the island, date back to between 1,100 and 1,500 CE.
