More images could be found in the dry lake, which is in the center of the Rano Raraku volcanic crater, said Salvador Atan Hito, vice president of the Ma ́u Henua indigenous community that manages the arc treasures. Rapa Nui knowledge.
The statue “is in good condition, it has occasional wear, erosion, water, but its shapes and features are still very visible,” Atan told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday.
“This discovery is something historic for this new generation,” he said.
About 400 of the island’s 1,000 moai are inside the volcanic crater or on its outer slopes, and the rest are scattered around the rest of the island’s 160 square kilometers (60 sq mi).
Some of the moai are known to be buried below the surface even though they were left in place. However, this last one has not been cataloged before, Atan said.
The figures represent the ancestors of the Rapa Nui community, and their duty is to protect members of the community, which is why they were placed looking in from the sea, said Atan.
Rapa Nui, located 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) from the mainland, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. In 2019, it was renamed “Rapa Nui-Easter Island” from its name it was formerly Easter Island.
