Summary of "2. FROM THE FIELD: ALMOST a 10m/30f moai found on the ara o te moai (statue road)"

Scientific Concepts, Discoveries, and Natural Phenomena:

Moai Statue Characteristics:
- The featured moai is nearly 9 meters (about 27 feet or 30 feet) tall, making it almost a three-story structure.
- It is carved from volcanic ash called topolapoli, a type of hilo tuff, which is volcanic ash cooled by water, creating a workable stone.
- The stone contains inclusions of pyroclasts and basaltic clasts that were not melted during formation, resulting in a consolidated stone matrix.
- The moai has been lying on its back for a long time, evidenced by rills formed by water erosion, indicating it likely was never standing upright in its current location.
- The base of the statue is large (about 6 feet long) to support the massive weight when placed on an ahu (ceremonial platform).
Moai Transport and Installation:
- The moai was quarried at Rano Raraku (Manga Io) volcano, about 7 kilometers (5 miles) from its current location.
- The statue is on the Ara o te Moai (Moai Road), a pathway used to transport these large statues.
- The moai road likely served multiple purposes beyond statue transport, including moving people, resources, and processions for festivals and events.
- The moai lacks the carved-out eye sockets (aringa ora or "living face") that would have held coral, scoria, and obsidian eyes to symbolically "activate" the ancestor spirit. This suggests it was still in transport and not yet installed.
- Possible destination sites for installation include Akahanga or Ura Urangate Mahina, where ramps exist for moai placement.
Environmental and Erosional Factors:
- The moai is deteriorating due to multiple agents: wind, rain, salt spray from the ocean, animal activity, human interference, and archaeologists.
- The inland landscape differs from coastal areas; it is treeless and grassy, resembling a rolling prairie or midwestern field, contrasting with the volcanic coastal environment.

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Methodology/Observations by Dr. Dale Simpson:

Visited inland areas of Easter Island to explore different landscapes and moai locations.
Measured and visually inspected the moai, estimating its size and condition.
Noted geological composition and erosion patterns.
Discussed cultural and archaeological context of moai transport and installation.
Walked the moai road to understand its broader cultural significance.

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