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[–]wendolynne 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

I don't know about Easter Island, I believe there is an unfinished statue in a mine on the island. But in Peru, seems to me that they probably were living close to live volcanos, and could have developed techniques to direct hot lava from an active volcano into forms to cast the megalithic stones for their walls. We have techniques for smelting and casting metal, could similar techniques for managing lava be possible ?

[–]iraelmossadreddit[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

i think those laying on the ground might be imiations that they tried to make. they saw all these 100s of statues and wanted to imitate it.. like when you see a drawing when you are little and try to copy it lol...do people still do that with the internet?

"According to the tradition, Tai Hare Atua is the work of Miru A’Hotu and Tangi Teako A’Hotu, who carved this first moai when they started working in the quarries, but when they saw the poor result they left it lying."

[–]wendolynne 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I hadn't considered that possibility. Thanks

[–]jet199 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

We have unfinished walls in various stages in Peru. It's clear the blocks were carved on site to fit each other. No mystery there.

They paid their taxes in labour so the time it took to do this wasn't an issue. And there was a purpose to it, such walls stood up better during earthquakes.

[–]wendolynne 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Clear to you. How do you know?

[–]ItchMcConnell 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I believe that would be extremely difficult with modern tech.

[–]wendolynne 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

If you had a volcano that was predictable, so you knew where the lava was going to flow, you put your forms in its path and wait. Maybe the forms are made from something like plywood sheets that end up getting burnt completely, but leave blocks that fit snugly along that space where the plywood was before. Maybe the dimples on so many of the blocks are where there was a vent in the form allowing air to escape so the form fills completely.

A lot of these stones are basalt, which is volcanic.