How much use is folklore and oral history in unlocking the mystery?
The problem with folklore and oral history is that so few people survived the depravations of 19th century slavers and western disease. Most scientists now regard these sources as unreliable, although they are still studied for any clues they might add to the science. How does the size, style or location of statues vary over time? Considering that they were made for almost one thousand years, the statues – or moai as they are also called – are remarkably uniform in their design. Jo Anne Van Tilburg believes that the design was handed down in something akin to a guild of statue carvers, ensuring continuity. However, there are some differences in the statues. It seems that over time they got bigger (although this is complicated because it is impossible to date the statues themselves, and the dating of the context in which they occur is not always as reliable as scientists would like it to be). There are one or two odd statues – the famous kneeling statue in the quarry for example, which
