What material are the Easter Island moai statues made from?

The monumental moai statues of Easter Island were carved by the Rapa Nui people primarily from tuff, a relatively soft rock formed from volcanic ash. Nearly half of these statues remain at the main quarry site of Rano Raraku. While stone is the most famous medium, the Rapa Nui also carved smaller figures out of wood.

What we know

• The Rapa Nui people used tuff to make most of the moai statues on Easter Island. [4]
• Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption that subsequently lithifies into solid rock. [4]
• Nearly half of the moai statues are still located at Rano Raraku, which serves as the main moai quarry. [2]
• In addition to the stone statues, the Rapa Nui also carved small wooden moai figures. [2]

Where to go next

• how it workedHow was volcanic ash transformed into the rock used for the statues?
• whereWhere is Rano Raraku quarry located on Easter Island?
• a case in pointWhat are the wooden moai figures carved by the Rapa Nui?
• what caused itHow did the Rapa Nui transport the massive stone statues across the island?
• compared withWhat distinguishes tufa from tuff in geological terms?
• an unexpected connectionWhy did ancient Romans use the same stone found in Easter Island statues?Although the Rapa Nui used tuff to carve giant monolithic figures in the Pacific, Romans frequently used the same soft volcanic ash rock for general construction because of its common availability in Italy.

Sources

• [1]moai (Wikidata Q20350) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Moai · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Relocation of moai · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Tuff · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Easter Island · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

1. Why is the volcano on Brava Island considered active?
2. /What material are the Easter Island moai statues made from?