The massive stone statues erected by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island are called moai.
Moai are monumental human figures carved by the people of Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island. Most were made between about 1250 and 1500 CE from volcanic tuff quarried at Rano Raraku. The statues have oversized heads, compact bodies and stylized facial features, reflecting a tradition focused on the power and ancestry of important individuals.
Many moai were placed on ceremonial platforms called ahu, usually facing inland toward communities rather than out to sea. Their role was connected with ancestral status and protection. Some received red scoria topknots called pukao, which were quarried separately at Puna Pau.
Popular accounts sometimes say the statues are “Easter Island heads.” That description is misleading: moai have bodies, although much of a buried statue may be hidden underground. Rapa Nui traditions and archaeological evidence also challenge the old claim that the statues were moved only by huge numbers of enslaved workers; experiments have shown that some could be “walked” upright using ropes.