The statues were carved by different clans/families. This was likely a show of wealth and prestige. Dating of the statues indicates that they became more elaborate with time as if the clans were competing with each other.
The statues are known as Moai and were carved between 1100 and 1680
Stone carved statues
The Easter Island heads, or moai, were carved by the Rapa Nui people from compressed volcanic ash between 1400 and 1650 AD. The statues represent deceased ancestors and were believed to hold spiritual power. Transporting these massive statues from their quarries to various locations on the island was a remarkable feat of ancient engineering.
The Easter Island statues, also known as Moai, were carved by the Polynesian descendants of the island using tools made from basalt and other stones. The statues were carved out of the volcanic tuff found on the island and transported using a combination of rolling and rocking movements. It is believed that a system of ropes, ramps, and sledges was used to move the statues to their final locations around the island.
There are approximately 900 Easter Island stone statues, called Moai, scattered across the island. These statues were carved by the Rapa Nui people between 1100 and 1680 AD.
There are around 900 moai statues on Easter Island, scattered across various ahu (platforms). The statues were carved by the Rapa Nui people between the 13th and 16th centuries.
The Easter Island statues, known as moai, were carved by the Rapa Nui people, the indigenous inhabitants of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in Polynesia. The construction of these statues took place between approximately 1400 and 1650 CE. The moai were primarily carved from volcanic tuff and were intended to represent ancestors, serving as a form of ancestral worship and a symbol of authority. Their creation involved considerable effort, reflecting the social and cultural significance of the statues to the Rapa Nui society.
The most widely-accepted theory is that the statues were carved by the Polynesian colonizers of the island beginning by about A.D. 1000-1100. Source: Crystallinks
The statues are from Easter Island. They are called Moai and are carved from a rock made of compressed volanic ash known as Tuff. They were carved in the quarries of Rano Raraku along the coast and transported to various areas across the Island.
The Island is called "Rapanui". The statues are called "Moai".
The hats on the moai statues on Easter Island were likely added as a ceremonial or decorative element to represent the hairstyles worn by the islanders' leaders. They were carved separately from the statues and placed on top of their heads.
Moai, or mo'ai are the name of the Easter Island statues. The statues were carved by the Polynesian colonizers of the island, mostly between circa 1250 AD and 1500 Ad.