The Stone Faces of Rano Raraku: Uncovering the Secrets of Easter Island’s Moai

Five hundred years ago, on the southern slopes of Easter Island's Rano Raraku volcano, the Rapa Nui people skillfully carved monumental moai statues from volcanic rock. The quarry was more than just a workplace. It was also a spiritually significant site. The moai are thought to represent the ancestors of the Rapa Nui people, embodying the spirits of their ancestors.

Approximately one thousand statues were produced between the 12th and 15th centuries, most of which were transported around the island's coastline at places like Ahu Tongariki and the Tahai Ceremonial Complex. Still, about 400 moai remain in the quarry in various stages of completion.

Today, visitors with a Rapa Nui National Park pass and a registered guide can walk among the stone faces of Rano Raraku and see evidence of how the moai were produced. This is precisely how Kel and I spent our first morning on Easter Island.

After a brief breakfast in Hanga Roa, we walked to the Mahinatur office we'd encountered on our initial stroll through town a day earlier. We'd reserved a spot on a full-day group tour that included visits to Rano Raraku, Ahu Tongariki, Ahu Akahanga, and Anakena Beach. The cost was 60,000 Chilean pesos or about $30 per person (80,000 pesos / $40 with lunch).

We paid for the tours by credit card and met our multilingual local guide, Luis, and five other tourists. Departure was at 9:30 a.m., as scheduled, and it was raining. Travelers to Easter Island can only visit Rano Raraku once during their stay. We were nervous we'd committed our one opportunity to see it to a morning when the weather was conspiring against us.

Arriving at Rano Raraku

The 12-mile drive from Hanga Roa to the entrance of Rano Raraku at the eastern end of the island took about 45 minutes. Thankfully, the rain had let up when we reached the gate, and the sun had begun peeking through the grey clouds above the volcano.

Each visitor had to show their Rapa Nui National Park pass, which was then stamped along with their passport. These park passes must be purchased in advance (either in town at the tourism office or online).

Before we entered the site, Luis showed us samples of the various materials used by the Rapa Nui workers to create the moai on Easter Island:

• Tuff is a soft, porous grey rock made from compressed volcanic ash used to make the moai.
• Hawaiite (basalt), the hardest rock on Easter Island, was used as a chisel to carve the tuff.
• Red scoria is porous, like tuff, and lighter. It was used to sculpt the hats placed on some moai. The scoria was quarried at Puna Pau on the western side of Easter Island.
• Obsidian is a black volcanic glass used to make the pupils of the moai statues after they were placed on their ahus (stone platforms).
• White coral was used for the eyes.

I'm glad we had a chance to hold the rock samples, as it was helpful to experience the difference in weight between the heavier basalt used for tools and the lighter tuff and scoria from which the statues were carved.

Touring the Quarry

After learning about the materials used to build the moai, Luis led us along the gently sloping gravel path toward the quarry on the south side of Rano Raraku's crater. The route's total distance is about 1,500 meters, and a standard group tour takes about 90 minutes. I found this sufficient; however, I suggest paying extra for a private guide if you want more time there.

Meeting the Moai

We passed a pair of fallen moai, one facing up with its head broken off at the neck. They were probably being transported to another part of the island and discarded for some reason. There's still a lot of uncertainty around why the moai production at the quarry stopped.

One of the most striking things we learned is illustrated in Luis's photo (below), which depicts one of the partially buried moai. The photograph, taken during an archaeological dig in 1956, shows that about half the total length of one moai wasn't visible.

Keeping the height of these monoliths, up to 33 feet (10 meters), in mind as we passed between them on the trail made the experience all the more fascinating.

The statues at Rano Raraku exhibit different carving styles, suggesting that the moai evolved over time. Earlier statues tended to be smaller and less detailed, while later, moai became larger with more refined facial features.

One of the first upright statues on the path faces south and acts like a host, welcoming visitors. It's the first spot visitors may feel inspired to stop and pose for a photo in Rano Raraku.

The path leads up a small hill beyond this moai, where you can get panoramic views from east to west. The view east, with the moai seeming to tumble down the slopes of Rano Raraku and the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop, was one of my favorite scenes on Easter Island.

Tour guides lead their groups here so they can temporarily step off the narrow trail and share more of the site's history and the Rapa Nui people's process for sculpting the moai. While Luis spoke in Spanish with a group member, I couldn’t help but notice how few people were at Rano Raraku.

It felt like we had this special place in the heart of the South Pacific all to ourselves. Although Easter Island has experienced a steady increase in tourism over the past 20 years, with around 100,000 visitors annually, this number is still a tiny fraction of the millions who visit Machu Picchu, South America's most famous archaeological site, each year.

How Moai Were Moved

Various theories have been suggested to explain how the multi-ton moai were moved from the slopes of Rano Raraku to ahus (stone platforms) around the island. The lack of modern equipment makes this feat almost unimaginable. I rank it right up there with the building of the Great Pyramids in Giza and Stonehenge.

Theories include:

• Walking the moai upright using ropes around the neck and body. The bottom of the statues are curved, not flat, which has been shown to aid in this approach. This is the most widely accepted option.
• Rolling the moai on logs, which contributed to the destruction of forests on Easter Island.
• Pulling the moai on their backs using ropes.

PBS outlined the theories and their potential in their 2024 NOVA episode, Easter Island Origins (which I highly recommend).

Once we'd taken our share of photos from the lower path, Luis led us up the crater's slopes to view partially carved moai that were ultimately abandoned where they lay.

Unfinished Statues

Due to the hefty weight of even the smallest moai, the statues were carved out of the crater from the top down. The back of the moai was the last section to be chipped away, at which point ropes were attached to control the statue's descent.

Without such coordination, releasing tens of thousands of pounds of volcanic rock from the crater could have deadly consequences. The 1994 adventure movie Rapa Nui, produced by Kevin Costner, depicts such scenes and is well worth watching.

The largest moai ever sculpted is named “El Gigante” and rests at an angle against the crater. It is 72 feet (21.6 meters) tall and weighs approximately 320,000 to 360,000 pounds (145 to 164 tons). A photo of it is below.

Some experts believe some unfinished statues in Rano Raraku were never intended to be moved from the site. Was El Gigante one of them? Or did the Rapa Nui people only realize they couldn't move such a giant statue after they'd already begun carving it? We'll never truly know.

For comparison's sake, the largest moai to ever be successfully erected on a platform is Ahu Te Pito Kura, 32.6 feet (9.8 meters), weighing about 180,000 pounds (82 tons).

Our higher vantage point at this point on the tour of Rano Raraku afforded even more sweeping views of the site and coastline. The dozens of moai left haphazardly around the site indicate how active the quarry must've been at its peak.

After briefly descending, we were treated to another monumental moai left unfinished. This one is lying flat on its back, and you see it at eye level.

As we continued eastward along the path, around the southern edge of the crater, we came upon one of the most unique moai on Easter Island, Tukuturi Moai.

Tukuturi Moai

Unlike his brethren, the 12-foot (3.7-meter) Tukuturi Moai kneels with his hands on his thighs. Indeed, his name means “squatting moai.” Another unique aspect of this moai is that it's the only one in Rano Raraku facing the quarry instead of outward toward the ocean.

Look past Tukuturi Moai; you can see Ahu Tongariki and Poike volcano in the distance. The statues at Ahu Tongariki were initially toppled during infighting on Easter Island. In 1960, a tsunami caused by an earthquake off the coast of Chile swept them further inland.

The moai at Ahu Tongariki were restored using modern equipment during a five-year campaign in the 1990s. Today, they are one of Easter Island's most photographed spots.

Departing Rano Raraku

After following the trail around Tukuturi Moai, we began our final descent of Rano Raraku and soon found ourselves on level ground again. We passed more moai face down on the ground.

Turning around and looking back at Rano Raraku offered another new perspective on the site. As we were taking pictures, a group of horses ran from east to west between us and the quarry, adding further to the moment's magic.

As we left Rano Raraku behind, the weight of its history and mystery lingered with us. The rain had cleared, revealing the island in all its rugged beauty, and the quiet presence of the moai felt even more profound.

Easter Island is not just a place of ancient wonders but a reminder of human ingenuity, spirituality, and resilience. Walking among the unfinished statues and gazing at the Pacific clarified why this remote land is fascinating. Our morning at Rano Raraku was just the beginning of understanding the stories these stone giants still have to tell.