Looking at the cover of this National Geographic, one sees the image of tribal people pulling on ropes attached to an Easter Island statue, or moai. The article focuses on culture surrounding the island, both from the past and in the modern world. The mystery of how the Rapanui moved the enormous moai without the use of livestock or or wheels is addressed with a new theory, devised by Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt, that supports the claims of the natives; "The statues walked." (Bloch, 43) This new theory, depicted on the cover, is radically different than previous ideas that focused on using tree trunks in various ways to slide the giant statues to  various parts of the island. The Lipo-Hunt theory suggests that three small teams of people could move the statue in a walking motion. 'Fat bellies tilted them forward, and a D-shaped base allowed handlers to roll and rock them side to side." (Bloch, 47) This theory has been tested proving that 18 people could successfully move a 10 foot tall moai using this method. The text directly relates to the cover image by showing a small group Rapanui moving one of the statues in this method. The faces of the Rapanui in the image convey the sense of pride that is found within their decedents today.


Source:

Bloch, Hannah. "If They Could Only Talk." National Geographic July (2012): 31-49. Print.