The imposing statues that line the coast of Easter Island have been an enigma to experts for centuries. But now, archaeologists have finally answered one of the most burning questions surrounding the sculptures: why were they built? The volcanic stone figures, called moai in the island’s native Polynesian language, are understood to have been carved between the years 1300 and 1600s. And while it's generally acknowledged the iconic figures were dedicated to the island’s chiefs, no one could figure out why they were constructed in such specific areas. The bulk of the 1,000-odd statues are situated along the coast of the Pacific island (also known as Rapa Nui) - a fact that left experts perpetually flummoxed. And so researchers from New York’s Binghamton University decided to investigate these sites in depth. And, at last, they worked out that it was all to do with water. The humanoid figures, sculpted from volcanic rock, tower over Rapa Nui's extraordinary landscapeiStock The team discovered only a small amount of freshwater is naturally available on the remote Chilean territory. Therefore, hundreds of years ago, Rapa Nui’s inhabitants would have relied on groundwater discharge as their main source of drinking water. Simply put, groundwater discharge...