"This is the first time, from what I understand, that something has been found in the basin," said archaeologist Jose Miguel Ramirez.
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It meant that "the lake had likely dried at some point in the past, and perhaps the Rapa Nui were taking advantage of that to move the statue," he added.
"I think more moai are going to keep showing up," Ramirez said.
Moai statues stand on Ahu Tongariki near the Rano Raraku volcano, top, on Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, Chile, Nov. 27, 2022. According to Salvador Atan Hito, vice president of the Ma'u Henua Indigenous community which administers the archaeological treasure of Rapa Nui, on March 1, 2023, a small moai was discovered recently in the middle of a dry lagoon inside the volcano's crater. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix, File)
Easter Island, a Chilean territory some 2,200 miles from the mainland, is a protected national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Researchers believe the island's first residents arrived more than 1,000 years ago and that its famous monolithic human figures were erected about 400 to 700 years ago.
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"What we've seen today is very important, because this is part of the history of the Rapa Nui people," said Salvador Atan Hito, a leader of the Ma'u Henua Indigenous community overseeing the site.
The half-buried, 5-ft moai will now undergo tests to determine what state it is in, researchers said. While Easter Island is littered with hundreds of the towering stone heads they face threats from the elements, including the fires which led to this statue's discovery.
Reuters contributed to this report