Easter Island - the land where giant stone heads gaze distantly at the sea - is both a fascinating conundrum and a wonderful microcosm of a society which moved to a new land, accidentally destroyed the ecosystem, and then eventually destroyed themselves.

Legend and tells us that the ancient monuments, which range in height from four to 33 feet, were dragged into place from a distant quarry by Polynesian settlers, who sailed a thousand miles across the Pacific in canoes around AD800, before almost instantly embarking on their campaign of building the mysterious monuments.

But one thing has always led to debate: how exactly did the tribe move the 'moai' - some of which weigh more than 80 tons - to their final destinations without the benefit of modern technology.

The descendents of the Polynesians are adamant the stones walked to their resting places. But a new study, presented by National Geographic, suggests the Polynesians had some help from a little rock 'n' roll...

Researchers have tended to assume the ancestors dragged the statues somehow, using a lot of ropes and wood.

But islanders maintain something very different: One, Suri Tuki, says: 'The experts can say whatever they want. But we know the truth. The statues walked.'

Perhaps the islander's viewpoint is right - as it arguably matches with the 'vertical walking' method.

The clue is in each statue's fat belly - which produces a forward-falling center of gravity that helps with vertical transport.

And, with just a few ropes, a team of 18 people could rock the statue back and forth, each time inching the statue on just a little bit more.

Continued...
Source / Pics