[URL]http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/06/120622-easter-island-statues-moved-hunt-lipo-science-rocked/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ng%2FNews%2FNews_Main+%28National+Geographic+News+-+Main%29[/URL]
[QUOTE]For centuries, scientists have tried to solve the mystery of how the colossal stone statues of [URL="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/easter-island/"]Easter Island[/URL] moved. Now there's a new theory—and it rocks.
The multiton behemoths traveled up to 11 miles (18 kilometers) from the quarry where most of them were carved, without the benefit of wheels, cranes, or even large animals.
Scientists have tested many ideas in the past, figuring that the islanders must have used a combination of log rollers, ropes, and wooden sledges.
Now a pair of archaeologists have come up with a new theory: Perhaps the statues, known as [I]moai,[/I] were "engineered to move" upright in a rocking motion, using only manpower and rope.
[URL="http://www.anthropology.hawaii.edu/people/faculty/Hunt/index.html"]Terry Hunt[/URL] of the University of Hawaii and [URL="http://www.lipolab.org/lipo.html"]Carl Lipo[/URL] of California State University Long Beach have worked closely with archaeologist Sergio Rapu, who's part of the South Pacific island's population of indigenous Rapanui, to develop their idea. They've observed that fat bellies allowed the statues to be tilted forward easily, and heavy, D-shaped bases could have allowed handlers to roll and rock the moai side to side.
Last year, in experiments funded by the National Geographic Society's[URL="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/grants-programs/expeditions-council/"]Expeditions Council[/URL], Hunt and Lipo showed that as few as 18 people could, with three strong ropes and a bit of practice, easily and relatively quickly maneuver a ten-foot (three-meter), five-ton moai replica a few hundred yards (a few hundred meters). No logs were required. (National Geographic News is a division of the Society.)
[/QUOTE]
I find it interesting that we still are just guessing at how ancient civilizations worked. We can blame the Spaniards for that, in this case.
Poor Ancient Aliens guy will be most disappointed.
I still think they're sentient and will one day rise up to retake their birthgrounds
Quite creepy statues. Imagine discovering the barren island for the first time after the Rapa Nui died out. No trees or anything to live off of, just giant heads.
What a corny pun in the first sentence.
but uh
[img]http://i.imgur.com/I6eZ0.jpg[/img]
How can you use that technique with the massive bodies?
I knew it was not just heads but Jesus Christ that thing is creepy unearthed.
[QUOTE=acidcj;36463634]How can you use that technique with the massive bodies?[/QUOTE]
Lots and lots of manpower.
I don't see what is so hard to believe about them, if the Egyptians could build pyramids and sphinx's then why wouldn't some guys on a island be able to build a load of giant head thingies?
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;36463679]I don't see what is so hard to believe about them, if the Egyptians could build pyramids and sphinx's then why wouldn't some guys on a island be able to build a load of giant head thingies?[/QUOTE]
No, that's not the mystery. The mystery is how they moved them. See, if the Egyptians moved the pyramids and sphinx's then that would be quite a mystery.
[editline]24th June 2012[/editline]
I'd guess ancient aliens.
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;36463679]I don't see what is so hard to believe about them, if the Egyptians could build pyramids and sphinx's then why wouldn't some guys on a island be able to build a load of giant head thingies?[/QUOTE]
Except there are genuine questions about how the Egyptians did their shit too
so yeah
[QUOTE=mac338;36463698]No, that's not the mystery. The mystery is how they moved them. See, if the Egyptians moved the pyramids and sphinx's then that would be quite a mystery.
[editline]24th June 2012[/editline]
I'd guess ancient aliens.[/QUOTE]
The big head things don't look that big, they probably just dragged the rocks there and then pushed the rock into the hole and carved it on site.
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;36463722]The big head things don't look that big[/QUOTE]
Did you see the picture just a bit higher up?
[QUOTE=mac338;36463739]Did you see the picture just a bit higher up?[/QUOTE]
I'm sure that if you got enough people together you could drag it, maybe with some primitive forms transportation.
[QUOTE=carcarcargo;36463722]The big head things don't look that big, they probably just dragged the rocks there and then pushed the rock into the hole and carved it on site.[/QUOTE]
From Wikipedia:
Only a quarter of the statues were installed, while [b]nearly half remained in the quarry[/b] at Rano Raraku and the rest sat elsewhere, probably on their way to final locations.
Which suggests that the majority were carved in the quarry.
[QUOTE=acidcj;36463634]but uh
[img]http://i.imgur.com/I6eZ0.jpg[/img]
How can you use that technique with the massive bodies?[/QUOTE]
How curious, would have never known that the statues are partly buried in the earth.
[QUOTE=acidcj;36463634]but uh
[img]http://i.imgur.com/I6eZ0.jpg[/img]
How can you use that technique with the massive bodies?[/QUOTE]
Those really are massive. I never knew they had bodies as well. Curious though. Are they mostly buried for a reason? It's easy to make such a thing fall into a hole and it ensures that it won't move. Ever. And moving it really can't be that much of a mystery. Logs could have helped it roll it's way along. Levers could easily teeter totter it and then finally place it into the ground. Or even rotating it side to side to sort of crawl it along the ground. There are many techniques that I'm sure these people could have used and probably have used them all at one point or another.
[QUOTE=acidcj;36463634]but uh
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/I6eZ0.jpg[/IMG]
How can you use that technique with the massive bodies?[/QUOTE]
This supports my sentient theory. The statues were running amok on the island, trying to kill the villagers and retake their land, so the villagers tricked them into holes and piled dirt around them so that they couldn't move anymore. The statues went dormant until the day that the earth was removed and they were free. That day is approaching.
[QUOTE=DudeGuyKT;36464698]This supports my sentient theory. The statues were running amok on the island, trying to kill the villagers and retake their land, so the villagers tricked them into holes and piled dirt around them so that they couldn't move anymore. The statues went dormant until the day that the earth was removed and they were free. That day is approaching.[/QUOTE]
[img]http://www.pantalonescuadrados.com/wp-content/uploads/casa_calamardo/casa_calamardo_viva.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=acidcj;36463883]From Wikipedia:
Only a quarter of the statues were installed, while [b]nearly half remained in the quarry[/b] at Rano Raraku and the rest sat elsewhere, probably on their way to final locations.
Which suggests that the majority were carved in the quarry.[/QUOTE]
Well I guess that would kind of make sense, take the majority of the weight off before you transport it making it easier to transport
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpNuh-J5IgE[/media]
It's sort of weird seeing it move like that from the distance.
Reminds me of this video about stonehenge, similar technique
[video=youtube;pCvx5gSnfW4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCvx5gSnfW4[/video]
They could have carved out giant cylinders or blocks of rock and then rolled those/pulled those to the location then have had their artists fashion them into the heads.
Not all that difficult as the previous theory.
[QUOTE=CakeMaster7;36463707]Except there are genuine questions about how the Egyptians did their shit too
so yeah[/QUOTE]
AFAIK it's confirmed that the egyptians used wheels. The thing about easter island is that there is no evidence of them using wheels or animals or other tools. Just some ropes.
Ok then how about this thing
[IMG]http://www.culture24.org.uk/asset_arena/6/18/87/178816/v0_master.jpg[/IMG]
It's the blocks ontop that don't compute.
[QUOTE=Fr3ddi3;36469704]Ok then how about this thing
[IMG]http://www.culture24.org.uk/asset_arena/6/18/87/178816/v0_master.jpg[/IMG]
It's the blocks ontop that don't compute.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=kaze4159;36468383]Reminds me of this video about stonehenge, similar technique
[video=youtube;pCvx5gSnfW4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCvx5gSnfW4[/video][/QUOTE]
If it ain't aliens, then explain to me how they shoot those energy rings!
[IMG]http://gamecola.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Gradius-This-Easter-Island-Earth.GIF[/IMG]
[QUOTE=Appolox;36468319][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpNuh-J5IgE[/media]
It's sort of weird seeing it move like that from the distance.[/QUOTE]
The people are not actually pulling it. It's walking on it's own, and they're trying (and failing) to slow it down.
[QUOTE=acidcj;36463634]but uh
[img]http://i.imgur.com/I6eZ0.jpg[/img]
How can you use that technique with the massive bodies?[/QUOTE]
Probably tons of islanders.
Same thing with the Pyramids. The answer is simple: they had lots of manpower.
I wouldn't be surprised if they were going to carve out arms and legs for these as well as some kind of representation of the gods. Would be neat to see them finished like that.
[QUOTE=BananaFoam;36476680]
I wouldn't be surprised if they were going to carve out arms and legs for these as well as some kind of representation of the gods. Would be neat to see them finished like that.[/QUOTE]
But if you look you can see it already has arms, They are just at his side and over his crotch.
Edit:Darnit kermit not again.
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