Most statues were quarried and carved in the extinct volcano of Rano Raraku, where over 150 unfinished statues still remain.
Workers shaped the statues until they were left attached to the rock only by their spines. These were then severed from the rock and the statues lowered to the base of the slope, using ropes. There they were erected upright and finished. From here they were moved to ahu situated around the island, probably using wooden sleds, ropes and cradles.
