Rapa Nui (Easter Island) has long fascinated researchers and visitors alike. Famous for its nearly 1000 megalithic statues (moai), the island has been portrayed as a case of ecological suicide and cultural collapse. Part of this narrative of failure involves the making and transport of the giant moai. However, detailed field research over the past two decades has changed our understanding dramatically. In this presentation, Dr. Hunt shares his research and reveals how many of the island’s long-standing mysteries have now been resolved.