The giant stone heads carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island are called moai.
Moai are monumental human figures carved mainly between about 1250 and 1500 by the people of Rapa Nui, the island also known as Easter Island. Most were made from volcanic tuff quarried at Rano Raraku, a volcanic crater that still contains unfinished figures and carving evidence.
Although commonly called heads, moai have large bodies, and some were buried over time so that only the upper portions remained visible. Many stood on ceremonial stone platforms called ahu, often facing inland toward communities. Some figures had red volcanic-stone topknots called pukao, quarried at Puna Pau.
The moai were transported and erected using methods still debated in detail, though experiments support several forms of rope-assisted movement. Their construction and placement reflected ancestral identity and social authority. The figures were not simply generic statues, and their exact meanings varied within Rapa Nui society.