# Statues were moved upright, rocked forward with ropes by small teams along prepared roads.

> Most likely: Statues were moved upright, rocked forward with ropes by small teams along prepared roads.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/answers/ANS0CTG312P33K5/statues-were-moved-upright-rocked-forward-with-ropes-by  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Easter Island moai](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai)[How were the moai moved from the quarry to the ahu?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/questions/QST0CTG303E013Y/how-were-the-moai-moved-from-the-quarry-to-the-ahu)Answer

Answer · Easter Island moai

# Statues were moved upright, rocked forward with ropes by small teams along prepared roads.

Statues were moved upright, rocked forward with ropes by small teams along prepared roads.

**Most likely** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Most likely** Its tests supported it: four pieces of evidence for, one against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Road statues have wide D-shaped bases and a forward lean that ahu statues lack; bases were trimmed after arrival.
- Fallen road statues lie face down on downhill stretches and on their backs uphill.
- A replica of road form can be walked by a small team.

## What would rule it out

- Road statues shown to lack the base form, or a demonstration that the method fails at full scale.

## Evidence 4 for · 1 against

[A 4.35-tonne replica was walked 100 m in 40 minutes by 18 people with three ropes.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/evidence/EVD0CTG31JA2KFN/a-4-35-tonne-replica-was-walked-100-m-in-40-minutes-by-18)

Supported

FOR

[Fall orientations on slopes match walking.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/evidence/EVD0CTG31T42K02/fall-orientations-on-slopes-match-walking)

Supported

FOR

[Oral tradition says the statues walked.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/evidence/EVD0CTG321Y6TAK/oral-tradition-says-the-statues-walked)

Suggestive

FOR

[Road moai have D-shaped bases and a forward centre of mass; ahu moai have trimmed flat bases.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/evidence/EVD0CTG31AG4YPJ/road-moai-have-d-shaped-bases-and-a-forward-centre-of-mass)

Established

FOR

[No full-size tuff statue has been walked, and the largest moved statues are 20 times the replica's mass.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/evidence/EVD0CTG329R43ET/no-full-size-tuff-statue-has-been-walked-and-the-largest)

Suggestive

AGAINST

## The questions it answers

[How were the moai moved from the quarry to the ahu?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/questions/QST0CTG303E013Y/how-were-the-moai-moved-from-the-quarry-to-the-ahu)

Most likelyStatues were moved upright, rocked forward with ropes by small teams along prepared roads

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). Statues were moved upright, rocked forward with ropes by small teams along prepared roads. [Answer ANS0CTG312P33K5]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0CTG312P33K5
```

Key

**ANS** 0CTG312P33K5

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

Added by

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