Scientists are still trying to understand why the islanders expended so much effort on these megaliths.
Moai - gigantic stone statues on Easter Island - remain one of the most mysterious things on the planet. And although scientists have long proven that these megalithic heads were created by the islanders themselves, and not by aliens from outer space, there are still many unanswered questions.
For a long time, it was believed that the production of each moai required the efforts of a large group of people. That is, it was a sort of large "state" project within the then-society of Easter Island. However, the authors of a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE are convinced otherwise.
At the Rano Raraku quarry, the main place where stone heads were produced, scientists discovered 30 separate production centers distributed throughout the crater. Each of them is characterized by unique carving techniques. Moreover, these centers are separated from each other by natural barriers, making centralized oversight of the work impossible.
To obtain these results, the researchers used advanced photogrammetry methods. More than 11,000 photographs were taken with the help of drones, which allowed the creation of the first complete three-dimensional model of the Rano Raraku quarry. This model clearly demonstrates that the production of moai occurred simultaneously in many independent workshops.
The authors of the study claim that the production of the statues was based on the cooperation of small familial groups through horizontal social networks, rather than centralized management. This conclusion contradicts traditional notions that monumental structures were created solely under the control of powerful hierarchical structures.
"Our results demonstrate that societies can successfully coordinate large-scale production activities through distributed networks of semi-autonomous groups. This decentralized production system could be beneficial, preventing the concentration of power that could lead to the over-exploitation of resources", - write the researchers.
