# Statues were dragged horizontally on wooden sledges or rollers.

> Disputed: Statues were dragged horizontally on wooden sledges or rollers.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/answers/ANS0CTG32HJ5FAS/statues-were-dragged-horizontally-on-wooden-sledges-or  
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 dragged horizontally on wooden sledges or rollers.

Statues were dragged horizontally on wooden sledges or rollers.

**Disputed** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Disputed** One piece of evidence for, one against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Road and ahu statues share the same base form; abundant large timber available; drag marks or sledge tracks on roads.

## What would rule it out

- Systematic base-form differences between road and ahu statues and absence of timber at the scale needed.

## Evidence 1 for · 1 against

[A 1998 horizontal-sled experiment moved a replica but needed many more people per tonne.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/evidence/EVD0CTG32SC7117/a-1998-horizontal-sled-experiment-moved-a-replica-but-needed)

Suggestive

FOR

[Road statues differ systematically in base form from finished ahu statues, which a horizontal method does not…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/evidence/EVD0CTG33165B13/road-statues-differ-systematically-in-base-form-from)

Supported

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 dragged horizontally on wooden sledges or rollers. [Answer ANS0CTG32HJ5FAS]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0CTG32HJ5FAS
```

Key

**ANS** 0CTG32HJ5FAS

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

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