Researchers analyzed 11,686 drone images and created the first complete 3D model of the original quarry used to create the Moai statues on Easter Island.

A new study using 11,686 drone images and 3D modeling has shed light on one of Easter Island’s most significant mysteries, reports “Online Information,” citing Estadi Find.

Researchers from Binghamton University and the University of Arizona have recorded and analyzed drone images of the main quarry in the Rano Raraku area where the famous Moai statues were made, creating the first complete 3D map of the site; a model that depicts the structure used to create these artifacts in unprecedented detail.

According to the study, published in the journal PLOS One, 30 independent workshops were identified at the Rano Raraku quarry, each belonging to a family group of 15 to 25 people.

Each workshop completed all stages of carving and disassembling the statues, and there is no indication of any central organization or single management for the production of over a thousand moai.

These findings suggest that these colossal statues were produced not under a centralized government system, but rather by small local groups working together.

A 3D model of the quarry records 426 semi-finished moai, 341 cut pits, and 133 voids created by the disassembly of completed statues.

Close examination of the carved surfaces also reveals that different workshops used different techniques in the initial stages of carving; however, the final style of the statues remains consistent throughout the quarry.

This study is consistent with other archaeological evidence on the island, refuting the hypothesis that any central power dominated the production process. According to the research team, the comprehensive 3D model of the Rano Raraku quarry not only helps to better understand the moai production system, but also provides an important tool for the conservation of this World Heritage Site, enabling accurate monitoring of erosion and tourism impacts in the future.