Scientists Uncover a Baffling Mystery About The Easter Island Heads

In 2012, the world was surprised to discover that the famous ancient carved stone heads in Easter Island actually have bodies.

Although scientists were aware of this since the earliest excavations in 1914, people only became aware of the bodies when photos of the excavation projects led by Jo Anne Van Tilburg, director of the Easter Island Statue Project, went viral online. Local Rapa Nui people helped the team excavate the monoliths.

“Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of visitors to the island have been astonished to see that, indeed, Easter Island statues have bodies!” Tilburg said.

In Van Tilburg’s team’s latest discovery, it was found that the hidden torsos of the mysterious monoliths called Moai have intricate tattoos on them. The crescent symbols carved at the back of the towering statues seem to represent the canoes of the Polynesians who built them.

It is believed that the Polynesian population went to the islands in canoes. Once they arrived at the remote island, they started carving the stone statues.

Measuring 10 meters high and weighing more than 80 tonnes each, the Easter Island statues were built from volcanic rocks some time between AD 100 and 1800. Because of erosion, the once-exposed bodies of the statues became hidden under the ground.

The beautifully decorated statues are believed to represent tribal figures or ancestors.

Next, discover the Lost Ancient City Built On Coral Reefs In The Middle Of The Pacific. Then, check out the Mysterious Kailasa Temple, the world’s Largest Structure Carved from a Single Piece of Rock.