Archaeologists Discover An Unknown Moai Statue In A Dried Out Lake

In the territory of Rapa Nui in Chile, a new moai statue has been discovered. Located on the Easter Island, the monument prompted joy and excitement among researchers as well as the natives. It was found buried in a dry lake bed, which made it inaccessible to humans. 

According to the vice president of the Indigenous organization Ma’u Henua, Salvador Atan Hito, this was a very important discovery for the Rapa Nui people.  “Because it’s here in the lake and nobody knows this exists — even the ancestors, our grandparents, don’t know [about] that one,” he told Good Morning America.

The newly-found monument was hidden by the tall reeds in the lake bed. According to the archaeologists on site, there could probably be more moai statues hidden in the lakebed sediments. 

Moai statues are human figures found on Easter Island. At the moment, there are around 1,000 of them on the island. These artworks were carved out of the volcanic rock by the Polynesian tribe called Rapa Nui. They embody ancestral spirits and were placed in a ring around the island. 

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