So this is the mystery of the megalithic statue on Easter Island in Chile!

Easter Island is located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, covering an area of approximately 117 square kilometers and is now part of the Valparaíso region of the Republic of Chile. It is about 3000 kilometers away from Chile on the South American continent and far away from other islands in the Pacific, so it is a lonely island in the southeastern Pacific. Easter Island is one of the most isolated islands in the world and is also 2,075 kilometers away from the settled Pitcairn Islands. The island is approximately triangular in shape and consists of three volcanoes.

The island's earliest residents called it Rapa Nui or Te Pito te Henua (meaning "navel of the world"). This name was not understood by people at first, but it was not until the astronauts on the space shuttle that they discovered that this name was completely correct when they looked at the earth from a high altitude-Easter Island hangs alone in the vast Pacific Ocean, indeed like a little The "navel" is exactly the same. Did ancient islanders once overlook their island from a high altitude? If so, who and what aircraft used to bring them high into the sky?

The islanders are immigrants from the easternmost Polynesian subgroup of the Marguesas race. The original Rabonui vocabulary has been lost, and before missionaries introduced Tahitian dialect to massacred residents in 1864, only a few mixed Polynesian and non-Polynesian characters were recorded. Spanish is spoken. Traditionally, the islanders consider themselves descendants of two races: the long-eared and the short-eared. The first people to land on the island were the Dutch, who named it Paaseiland (meaning "Easter Island") to commemorate the day of their arrival. The island's residents are mixed, mainly Polynesian, and almost all live in the walled West Coast village of Hanga Roa.

The nearly a thousand huge stone figures on Easter Island are one of the world's unsolved mysteries. There are many theories about the stone figures on Easter Island. Up to now, there has been no scientific and satisfactory explanation that is convincing to everyone. In 1995, Easter Island was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Surveys were conducted in 1914 and 1934, and excavations were carried out in 1955. The results showed that there were three cultural periods on the island. Early huge stone walls can be used to observe the direction of the sunrise throughout the year. Small and medium-sized stone statues use dark basalt, tuff and volcanic slag as materials, and date from isotope carbon to about 1680 BC. The middle period is characterized by a half-body stone statue with long ears and no legs on the stone platform. Stone statues are generally 3-6 meters high, and the tallest one reaches 9.8 meters and weighs about 82 tons. There was also a special phenomenon in the middle period, that is, the bird god worship ceremony with bird catchers accompanying etiquette. This phenomenon continued into the third period, that is, the late period. The center of the ceremony is the village of Orongo on Mount Lanu Ke. The village is full of stone houses with roofs that look like false arches.

They are scattered all over the island, lying on the slopes of the mountains or lying on the beach. Among them, dozens of them stand on artificial platforms by the sea, alone or in groups, facing the sea, looking high and farsighted. These legless half-figures are vividly shaped, with high noses, deep eye sockets, long ears, upturned mouths and hands resting on their stomachs. Stone statues are generally 5-10 meters high and weigh dozens of tons. The tallest one is 22 meters high and weighs more than 300 tons. Some stone statues also wear red stone caps on their heads and weigh 10 tons. These stone statues, called "Moai" by locals, are carved from dark basalt and tuff, and some of them are inlaid with shells to form eyes that are full of brilliance. The Polynesians on the island did not know the origin of these stone statues, and their ancestors did not tell future generations who carved these stone statues. Because there are no written words and no historical records. But they called the stone statue "Mao Ayi", the stone cap "Pukao", and the platform on which the stones were placed "Ahu".

What is puzzling is, who carved these stone statues on the island? What does it symbolize? How do people transport them from the quarry to the seaside dozens of kilometers away? Some people say this is the work of aliens.

Based on the language characteristics of the Easter Islanders, archaeologists believe that the Easter Islanders originally migrated from an archipelago in Polynesia. Where do Polynesians come from? It was once thought to be from South America. Now, more scientists believe that Polynesians came from southeastern Asia. Ancient Asians set out from Southeast Asia and passed through Irian Island, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Fiji Islands and other islands over a long period of time, and finally arrived at Easter Island in about the 4th and 5th centuries AD. After the Polynesians arrived on Easter Island, they also brought the custom of carving stone statues to Easter Island, and the trend of carving stone statues became more and more intense for various reasons.

According to scientists, the stone statues on Easter Island do not represent gods but represent late grand chiefs or religious leaders. During excavation, archaeologists also found traces of potholes left by piling on the ground, and traces of tightening ropes were also found on the bodies of some stone statues, which can be seen when they were pulled upwards. More than 500 stone tools were also found. These tools are used to carve different parts, made of basalt or obsidian, and other tools are used to polish and decorate the surface. The archaeological team said that this discovery confirmed that these stone statues were indeed made by humans. In the eyes of ancient Polynesians, these people had extremely powerful divine powers and could bless their descendants.

Based on the analysis of transportation relics left at the carving site, scientists believe that the ancient Polynesians transported the stone statues like this: they covered the cut road with thatch and reeds, and then used crowbars and ropes to move the reclining stone statues onto the "big sleigh", and then pulled the "big sleigh" with ropes. After arriving at the destination, ropes and crowbars were used to erect the stone statue in a previously dug pit. In 1960, American archaeologist Muro led island residents to use this method and successfully erected seven 16-ton stone statues.

Of course, the mystery of the stone statues on Easter Island cannot be said to have been completely and completely solved. There are still many questions that need to be further studied by scientists.