Wonders of the World

 

Moai, Easter Island, Chile

Far-flung Easter Island – one of the remotest inhabited islands on Earth – is a remarkable place, made even more so by its mysterious moai. These giant stone-carved heads and torsos stand stoically on sites around the volcanic island. It's widely thought, but not known for certain, that they were carved by the Rapa Nui people in deference to important ancestors. Nearly 900 moai were carved and erected across the island between the 11th and 14th centuries, with many of the rocks sourced from the Rano Raraku quarry, a spectacular volcanic crater that still remains on the island.