You’ve seen them before and have probably heard their legend—the moai statues of Easter Island—the giant stone heads that weigh a few tons each.

There has long been evidence to suggest that they were not constructed at the site where they are currently erected. So, how did they get there? Who moved them, and how did they do it? Well, researchers might have finally figured it out.

In a new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, anthropologists Carl Lipo and Terry Hunt say the answer isn’t something wacky like aliens; it’s just good old-fashioned hard work and some clever physics.

Using high-res 3D scans of nearly 1,000 moai, the researchers noticed that the statues were essentially built for travel. They all have wide, D-shaped bases with a slight forward lean that all

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