Rapa Nui statues marked freshwater sources - study

Rapa Nui's moai, or human figure statues, were ancient markers for freshwater in the territory, also known as Easter Island.

That's according to a new study published last week in the journal PLOS One, which shines new light on why the monuments were built.

The research analysed the locations of the ahu, or stone platforms which the moai sit on, in relation to natural resources.

Study co-author Carl Lipo, professor of anthropology at Binghamton University in New York, says they found ahu at every freshwater source in Rapa Nui.

He explained to Mackenzie Smith how the research came about.