El Gigante is the largest Moai statue found on Easter Island. It is located near the Rano Raraku quarry, within a volcanic crater on the southeastern coast of the island, and even in its unfinished state, it possesses an enormous size.
According to estimates by experts, if El Gigante were completed, it would stand up to 72 feet (22 meters) tall and weigh up to 182 tons, heavier than two fully loaded Boeing 737 passenger planes. However, in reality, it has never been removed from the quarry and has not been completed or erected like other statues.
Why this occurred remains a mystery to this day. There are many speculations that the inhabitants of Easter Island were unable to move it because the statue was too massive and heavy. However, the true reason why El Gigante was abandoned is still unknown, and many researchers genuinely believe that it was never intended to be completed.
Moai are the human-shaped statues on Easter Island
What is Moai?
Moai are human-shaped statues made from solid rock on Easter Island. They were carved by the Rapa Nui people from 1250 to 1500 AD. Hundreds of these Moai have been carved and placed on various stone platforms around the island’s periphery, with half of them still present at Rano Raraku—a volcanic crater on the island.
These monolithic statues are made from volcanic rock. Initially, the human figure was outlined on the rock face and then carefully chiseled before being separated from the original stone.
The characteristic feature of these statues is that they often have a high degree of stylization, yet display an astonishing level of uniformity. The oversized heads of the statues typically have long, slender noses and thick eyebrows. The protruding lips appear as if they are pouting. The ears of the stone statues are elongated, resembling the nose. The hands have slender fingers that lie along the tops of the hips.
However, other aspects of the statues are underdeveloped. The anatomical features on the back of the Moai are not detailed. Moreover, most Moai statues have their feet hidden, except for those that are kneeling.
These statues are often highly stylized.
Although Moai are statues that represent the entire human body, they are often referred to as “Easter Island heads”. The primary reason is the disproportionate size between the head and the rest of the statue. Additionally, the statues are often buried deep in the ground, with only the heads visible.
Despite their gigantic size, they are still significantly smaller compared to El Gigante. This colossal statue is approximately six times taller than the average Moai statue.
The statues are known as symbols of power.
According to some archaeologists, these monolithic human figures symbolize the souls of high-ranking leaders and ancestors of the early inhabitants of Easter Island. The statues are known as symbols of power, both politically and religiously.
However, Moai are truly more than just symbols. For those who erected these monolithic statues, they were also considered repositories of sacred souls. According to the beliefs of ancient Polynesian religions, carved wooden and stone objects, when prepared and shaped properly, were believed to become vessels containing mana energy, a mysterious spiritual essence.
The monolithic statues face towards the village as if they are watching over the residents there. Interestingly, there are seven statues facing the sea. It is believed that they helped people easily locate the island.
The monolithic statues face the village.
According to a legend, these seven statues are seven men who are eternally waiting for the arrival of their king. They wait forever, gazing outward, yet that king never appears.
The statues are also believed to have many other practical uses. A study conducted in 2019 concluded that according to the beliefs of those who built them, quarrying stone and sculpting Moai would help enhance soil fertility and consequently increase food supplies for the island’s inhabitants.
El Gigante
While the true reason why El Gigante on Easter Island remains unfinished has not been clearly explained, several potential reasons have been identified. One possible reason is that this monolithic statue was intentionally left incomplete.
Another reason could be that the builders encountered unusual impurities in the stone, leading the sculptors to abandon this statue and proceed to create a new one. However, the reason that many agree upon is that the era of constructing giant statues may have come to an end, leaving El Gigante as a milestone marking the conclusion of this tradition.
One possible reason is that this monolithic statue was intentionally left unfinished.
But perhaps the most intriguing question is: If this statue were completed, how would the sculptors have moved this colossal statue?
At the time when the first Europeans visited Easter Island, the island was completely devoid of any wooden trees. Therefore, the method used to transport the monolithic statues remains a mystery.
How could people with primitive tools move such enormous statues? If people today wanted to move them, it would require the combined effort of many modern technological machines to accomplish this task.
The exact method of transporting Moai remains unknown.
Recent pollen analysis has revealed that, until 1200 AD, the island was once covered by dense forests.
However, the exact method by which Moai were transported remains unknown. Nevertheless, researchers believe that wooden trees may have been used to move them. It is thought that the island’s past inhabitants utilized ropes and wooden sledges to transport the statues, or perhaps the statues were placed on logs and rolled to the desired location.
If this hypothesis is correct, then it would have required about 50 to 150 people to move the monolithic statues to their destination. Accordingly, it is possible that the Rapa Nui people excessively deforested to transport the Moai statues. Ultimately, with no more forests left, they could not continue the tradition of building Moai statues and completing the final stages of the El Gigante statue.
