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Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, has a ‘new’ moai. A specimen of the stone carvings with distinctive large heads was found in a dried up lagoon on the island. The lagoon sits in the crater of a volcano. This moai is 1.60 meters high, a lot smaller than its peers.
Unusual place
Easter Island is located more than 3500 kilometers from the coast of Chile, and has about 8000 inhabitants. A team of three Chilean researchers investigated the crater last month and discovered the image in an unusual location. Most of the statues were found on the edge of Lake Rano Raraku.
This time it was found at the bottom. The lagoon has been almost dry since 2018, allowing the moai to be exposed.
Watch the images of the discovery:
New moai statue found on Easter Island: ‘This is important for our history’
The moai that has now been discovered is a welcome addition to the collection of a thousand pieces. The statues are a tribute to the ancestors of the Polynesian people who live on the island. In that culture, venerating ancestors is an important tradition.
It is certainly not the largest specimen of the moai. The largest is ten meters high and weighs 90,000 kilos. A number were damaged last year in a fire that was probably set on fire. Two are in the British Museum in London.
