Scientists are puzzled by the appearance of a new statue on Easter Island

It has been reported that a previously unknown moai statue has been discovered in the dry bed of Lake Rano Raraku. This was reported by LADBible.

According to experts, this is the first time such an artifact has been found in a lake rather than on the hills and coastlines where they are usually found.

The discovered statue turned out to be one of the smallest among the known ones – about four meters high and weighing 12-14 tons.

Terry Hunt, a professor of archaeology at the University of Arizona who reported on the find, noted that the discovery came as a complete surprise to him and his colleagues.

Interestingly, even the island’s residents were unaware of the statue’s existence.

“No one knew about it, not even our grandparents. Perhaps in the current arid conditions, we will find more sculptures like this,” commented one of the locals.

According to researchers, the statue was hidden by thick reeds, and only the drop in water level made it accessible for exploration.

Archaeologists plan to use ground-penetrating radar to scan the bottom of the lake in hopes of finding other moai or tools used by ancient craftsmen to carve stone.