text: who built the easter island statues?   the easter islanders did it - as a religious gesture.  the maoi was carved out of the soft rock of the caldera (volcano leftover) and moved down - using wood. this obsession with head building led to deforestation and loss of fertile land.   listen, the site below tells you everything you want to know. i found it when researching this for kids in my class (school teacher)  the virtual site is fantastic, while the story & controversies pages are very informative.