Moai Giants

This passage describes a group of huge statues on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean.

Lexile Level: 510L

Categories: People & Places Mystery

In 1722, European explorers landed on a remote island in the Pacific. They were welcomed by 887 moai. Moai are stone statues that look like humans. They were made from hardened volcanic ash. The statues are enormous in size. They stand about 13 feet high. That is the average height of a female giraffe. They weigh around 14 tons. That is equal to the weight of three elephants. Some moai stand facing the sea. Others are in a construction area miles away. Many moai are lying between the two places. There are many unanswered questions about the moai. The biggest mystery is how the islanders moved the stone giants. The only tools available were stone, wood, rope, and man power. Perhaps they rocked the statues side to side. Maybe they rolled them over poles. They could have dragged them on their backs. But the truth is that only the moai know the answer!