# Lipo 2025: Megalithic statue (moai) production on Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile)

> Carl Philipp Lipo, Terry L. Hunt, Gina Pakarati et al., 2025. 9 records on Mysteries Department cite it. Cited for how the statues were carved and…

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CTG2R9E0PWR/megalithic-statue-moai-production-on-rapa-nui-easter-island  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[Easter Island moai](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai)Lipo 2025

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# Megalithic statue (moai) production on Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile)

Carl Philipp Lipo, Terry L. Hunt, Gina Pakarati et al., 2025. _PLOS One_.

A 3D model of the Rano Raraku quarry from more than 11,000 images identifies about 30 separate carving areas with different techniques and exit routes, read as independent groups sharing a tradition rather than a central workshop.

**Easter Island moai** Articledoi: **[10.1371/journal.pone.0336251](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0336251)** Checked against the original0

## What it's used for here

Cited for how the statues were carved and organised.

## Cited by on this site 9 records

[A paramount chief or priesthood directed statue production for the whole island.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/answers/ANS0CTG37DT3369/a-paramount-chief-or-priesthood-directed-statue-production)

Answer

ANS

[Many independent kin groups carved and moved statues, sharing a tradition but not a central authority.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/answers/ANS0CTG36PC3NR5/many-independent-kin-groups-carved-and-moved-statues-sharing)

Answer

ANS

[Hoa Hakananai'a](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/artifacts/ART0CTG3BJM5PBF/hoa-hakananaia)

ART

[The Rano Raraku quarry faces with unfinished moai](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/artifacts/ART0CTG3B3009FQ/the-rano-raraku-quarry-faces-with-unfinished-moai)

ART

[About 30 distinct carving areas with different techniques and exit routes in the Rano Raraku 3D model.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/evidence/EVD0CTG36Y67WEQ/about-30-distinct-carving-areas-with-different-techniques)

Evidence

EVD

[The quarry shows many independent areas, not one organisation.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/evidence/EVD0CTG37NM3HEE/the-quarry-shows-many-independent-areas-not-one-organisation)

Evidence

EVD

[3D model of Rano Raraku identifies about 30 carving areas](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/events/EVT0CTG2ZVM6097/3d-model-of-rano-raraku-identifies-about-30-carving-areas)

EVT

[The Easter Island moai](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai)

The mystery article

MYS

[Who organised the carving and moving of the statues?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/questions/QST0CTG30K20GMV/who-organised-the-carving-and-moving-of-the-statues)

Question

QST

## Cite it

```
Lipo, C. P., Hunt, T. L., Pakarati, G., Pingel, T., Simmons, N., & Heard, K. (2025). Megalithic statue (moai) production on Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile). PLOS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0336251
```

[Read it free at doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0336251)

Key

**SRC** 0CTG2R9E0PWR

Kind

Journal article

Rights

CC-BY-4.0

Kept

27 Oct 2026

Checked

Against the published article

Added by

[apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)

The record

Bibliographic records are CC0. Take this one as CSL-JSON, BibTeX or RIS.

[CSL-JSON](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CTG2R9E0PWR/megalithic-statue-moai-production-on-rapa-nui-easter-island/csl.json)