The Moai was found in a lagoon, lying on the side, “with a complete body and recognizable features”. This discovery opens up new perspectives on the history of the island.
mo12345lemonde with AFP
A new Moai, these statues characteristic of Easter Island, was discovered in a dry lagoon of the crater of a volcano of this Chilean Pacific Ocean territory, said the indigenous community responsible for administration of the island national park.
“It is a really unique discovery, because it is the first time that a Moai is discovered inside the Rano Raraku Crater lake”, assures in a press release the Ma’u Henua community, which Manages the Rapa Nui national park where the volcano is located.
The Moai was identified on February 21 by a team of scientists from three Chilean universities who collaborate with the National Forest Corporation (CONAF) in the recovery of a wetland located in the crater of the Rano Raraku, affected by a fire Last October.
Funding search to conduct an in -depth study
“This Moai is at the center of a lagoon that began to dry up in 2018,” said Agence France-Presse Ninoska Avareipua Huki Cuadros, director of the indigenous community Ma’u henua. “What is interesting is that, at least in the last 200 or 300 years, the lagoon has had a depth of three meters, so no human being could have left this moai,” said the one who is also the head of the Conaf on the island also known as Rapa Nui.
The Moai, which measures 1.60 meters, was discovered lying on the side, “with a complete body and recognizable features, but not clearly defined,” said the Ma’u henua community. She says he is “looking for funding to conduct an in-depth study of this discovery”.
isolated in the middle of the Pacific, 3,500 km from the Chilean coast, the Easter island, Polynesian culture, is world known for its impressive megaliths with the mysterious origin, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. Some statues can reach 20 meters high and weigh up to 80 tonnes.