Carl Lipo, Professor of Anthropology at Binghamton University and lead author of the study published in PLOS One, described the site as essential for understanding moai construction. He explained, "As an archeologist, the quarry is like the archeological Disneyland. It has everything you can possibly imagine about moai construction, because that's where they did most of the construction. It's always been this treasure of information and cultural heritage, but it's remarkably underdocumented."
The new digitization allows users to examine both prominent and hard-to-reach features of the volcanic crater through zooming and panning. This access reveals details otherwise not visible on foot due to the rugged landscape. "You can see things that you couldn't actually see on the ground. You can see tops and sides and all kinds of areas that just would never be able to walk to," said Lipo.
Spurred by a wildfire in October 2023, which threatened the site's integrity, the research team responded to a request from a local community group to document the quarry. Fieldwork, conducted in January 2024, utilized roughly 30 drone flights and captured 22,000 photos at 30-meter increments. Advanced computer software then combined these images into the comprehensive 3D model, a task requiring several months to complete.
Team member Thomas Pingel noted the rapid advancement in digital modeling capabilities. "It's amazing how far and how fast the technology has come. The quality of this model is far above what could be done even just a couple of years ago, and the ability to share such a detailed model in a way that is accessible from anyone's desktop computer is remarkable."
Analysis of the digitized site focused on 30 workshop locations in the quarry. The team observed variations in carving techniques, which reinforced prior findings suggesting the island's statue production involved multiple autonomous groups rather than centralized management. Lipo stated, "We see separate workshops that really align to different clan groups that are working intensively in their specific areas. You can really see graphically from the construction that there's a series of statues being made here, another series of statues here and that they're lined up next to each other. It's different workshops."
Lipo also emphasized the value of the replica for further research and broader engagement. He said, "What we would really like to do is be able to say, 'Go visit it yourself. Learn from it.' People on the island are afraid that if we build three-dimensional models that no one will go to the island. But I think this actually will inspire people to go there. Because otherwise, you're just seeing sort of snapshots of stuff. This is an incredible landscape of stuff that you could really go visit, that you'll want to see."
The publicly accessible 3D model will support ongoing scientific analysis as well as educational and cultural outreach.
Research Report:Megalithic statue (moai) production on Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile)
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