Overview

• Teams from Binghamton University and the University of Arizona used high‑resolution 3D scans to identify D‑shaped bases and a slight forward tilt that enable controlled rocking.
• A 4.35‑ton replica was moved roughly 100 meters in about 40 minutes by coordinated pulls that produced a lateral rocking, step‑like motion.
• Reports differ on team size for the replica test, with some accounts citing about 40 participants and others describing 18 people using three ropes.
• Archaeological surveys describe ancient roads with a concave profile that would help stabilize upright statues as they rocked forward.
• The results challenge log‑roller and sled hypotheses and recast the Moai’s transport as planned engineering that aligns with long‑told accounts of statues that ‘walked.’