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The famous heads carved in stone are sacred to the indigenous community

A new "moai" statue discovered on the island of Rapa Nui

The discovery in a dried up lake in the crater of a volcano

02/03/2023

A new "moai" statue has been found buried in a dried up lake in the crater of a volcano on the island of Rapa Nui in Chile.

The statue is small, just over 1.5 meters, compared to about a thousand "moai" on the island and was found by researchers while carrying out geological surveys after a fire that occurred last year inside the National Park.

This is the first statue found in a dry lake and archaeologists, who are analyzing the condition of the new "moai", assume that there may be others buried in the same area.

The giant heads were carved centuries ago by the inhabitants of the island and are considered sacred by the natives. Some are up to 20 meters high and weigh up to 80 tons.

"This is a truly unique discovery, as it is the first time that a 'moai' has been discovered inside the lake in the Rano Raraku crater," the Ma'u Henua community, which manages the island's National Park, said in a statement.

The "moai" was discovered on February 21 by a team of scientists from three Chilean universities who are collaborating with Conaf (Corporación Nacional Forestal of Chile) for the reclamation of a wetland in the Rano Raraku crater, devastated by a fire last October.

"What we have seen today is very important, because it is part of the history of the Rapa Nui people," said Salvador AtanHito, leader of the indigenous community.

The "moai" was found lying on its side, "with the body and features recognizable, but not clearly defined."

Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island is located in the Pacific Ocean, about 3,500 km from the coast of Chile and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Scientists believe that the first inhabitants arrived on the island more than 1,000 years ago and that the famous monolithic human figures were carved between 400 and 700 years ago.