Easter Island Statues May Have Marked Sources of Fresh Water
A spatial analysis of the island’s moai and ahu seem to line up with ancient wells and coastal freshwater seeps
(Adwo / Fotolia)
By Jason Daley
January 11, 2019
Archaeologists have figured out a lot about the moai, the giant stone heads found on Rapa Nui or Easter Island, a tiny dot of land in the Pacific Ocean administered by Chile. They know what quarries the stone came from, how they were transported across the island and even how they got their distinctive hats. But one big mystery has remained—why exactly were the giant statues placed in certain spots around the island?
One group of researchers believes they have an answer. Nicola Davis at The Guardian reports archaeologists theorize the location and size of the moai and the monumental raised platforms many of them sit on, called ahu, indicate the presence of fresh water on the island, which has no above ground streams or rivers flowing across it.
Read more:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/easter-island-statues-may-have-marked-sources-fresh-water-180971244/#TW6JRVqjeTBie4pz.99
