NOVA (1974)

Episode Overview

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, is a remote and desolate land in the Pacific that has captivated historians since its discovery by Europeans in 1722. The island is renowned for its nearly 900 colossal moai statues, some weighing as much as 86 tons. Questions linger about how the ancient inhabitants constructed and transported these monumental figures, and what led to the drastic environmental changes that turned their lush paradise into a barren wasteland. In this episode, NOVA investigates groundbreaking theories that challenge traditional views, including a radical idea that the islanders maneuvered the statues upright using ropes. A team, equipped with a 15-ton replica, embarks on an adventurous experiment to explore this audacious hypothesis, revealing unexpected twists along the way in the quest to unlock the mysteries of this ancient civilization.