Researchers from Binghamton University have developed a detailed 3D reconstruction of Rano Raraku the quarry on Easter Island where the Rapa Nui carved more than 1,000 moai statues using a collection of 11,000 photographs, according to a report from SciNews. Early written accounts from visitors to the island describe the Rapa Nui as living in small, independent groups with their own defined territories. The new 3D model supports this idea: it reveals around 30 distinct quarrying zones within Rano Raraku.

“We’re seeing individual workshop areas that likely correspond to different clan groups, each focused on its own section of the quarry,” explained Carl Lipo of Binghamton University. “The layout clearly shows one set of statues being carved in one place and another set nearby, indicating separate production areas.”

The model also shows that finished moai were taken out of the quarry in multiple directions, suggesting that statue construction was not overseen by a single centralized authority. Instead, the similarities among the statues probably reflect shared cultural traditions and techniques rather than centralized planning, Lipo said.