Easter Island - Moai

The moai (stone figures) are the most recognized symbols of Easter Island. Hundreds of them can be found on the island, some of which have been restored and re-erected. Most are lying on the ground near the sites where they were erected or at the quarry where they were create.

The figures were carved at the quarry site, then broken off and, through the use of trees, hauled to the appropriate area. They would then be erected on a stone base called an ahu. The process of building one of these carvings would take between 12 and 15 months.

It is thought that the moai were commemorative images of chiefs or lineage heads.