Famously, there are approximately 900 statues, or moai, located around the remote Pacific island, known to locals as Rapa Nui.
Most are found around the coast, and were built sometime between the years 1200 and 1600.
Researchers from New York’s Binghamton University are suggesting the lost civilisation used the iconic statues to signal locations where fresh water was available.
Anthropologist Carl Lipo has been looking into how the local Rapa Nui people were able to survive with such limited access to drinking water.
He led a team who conducted field studies of groundwater around the coast, news.com.au reported.
Dr Lipo wondered how, with no springs or streams and very little rainfall, did the civilisation of approximately 15,000-20,000 people survive?
They were forced to rely on brackish groundwater as their main source, according to the research published in the Hydrogeology Journal.
It is saltier than fresh water but not as salty as sea water and can be found in coastal areas.
The study says: "Two field surveys indicate abundant locations of brackish but potable water along the coastline.
"Although coastal groundwater sources are of poor quality, they were apparently sufficient to support the population."
It also stated this allowed them to build the "magnificent" nine-metre-high statues for which Easter Island is famous.
Dr Lipo added: "Now that we know more about the location of fresh water, however, the location of these monuments and other features makes tremendous sense.
"They are positioned where fresh water is immediately available."
"Fortunately, water beneath the ground flows downhill and ultimately exits the ground directly at the point at which the porous subterranean rock meets the ocean.
"When tides are low, this results in the flow of freshwater directly into the sea. Humans can thus take advantage of these sources of freshwater by capturing the water at these points."
The researchers now aim to further explore the link between the location of the moai and the accessibility to drinking water, which remains a key piece of the puzzle when figuring out what happened to the lost civilisation, and how they build the statues.
It’s believed the Rapa Nui people met their demise upon the arrival of European explorers, with many succumbing to disease.
Early accounts of the island described the people appearing to "drink seawater".
Dr Lipo said: "This information ultimately sheds light on the conditions that drove and enabled these communities to work together to achieve their feats of engineering."
He said they are now “tantalisingly close” to putting together all pieces of the island’s puzzle.
A version of this story appeared on the news.com.au website
Source: Read Full Article