👉 The Easter Ior, also known as Easter Island's iconic moai statues, represents a significant cultural and artistic achievement of the Rapa Nui people, who inhabited the island from around 1200 to 1600 CE. These massive stone figures, some standing over 30 feet tall and weighing up to 82 tons, were carved from volcanic tuff and transported across the island, often over long distances, using a combination of human labor and wooden sledges. The Easter Ior are believed to have served as ancestral guardians, symbolizing the power and status of the chiefs who commissioned their creation. They also reflect the complex social and religious beliefs of the Rapa Nui, showcasing their advanced stone-carving skills and communal organization. Today, these statues are a UNESCO World Heritage site and a major tourist attraction, drawing visitors to marvel at their scale and the mysteries they hold about pre-Columbian Polynesian civilization.
