I've seen at least four Easter Island videos that I can remember, and read lots of articles and books--but I have to admit that the 2012 NOVA/National Geographic Mystery of Easter Island is the first one that convinced me of the possible truth of an old legend.
Researchers Terry Hunt and Carl Lipo demonstrate how an Easter Island moai might have been moved, in this still from the Mystery of Easter Island. Ben Krueger/National Geographic Television
There's an old oral history on the island of Rapa Nui that says that the ancient megalithic statues called moai walked from their quarries to the platforms where they are aligned today, like sentries watching over the people. So, when at the end of the hour-long video from NOVA/National Geographic comes around, and this experimental moai rocks its way across a field: how could I resist?
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Comments
I agree! I watched this program with my children and was instantly convinced these researchers were correct. I have seen several other attempts to prove how the Moai were moved. They all seemed clunky and difficult as well as unconvincing. Such an enlightening show!