Easter Island is known for its giant stone statues, called moai, that were carved by the ancient Rapa Nui people between 1250 and 1500 CE. The Rapa Nui believed that the moai had the power to protect the island and its people, and the statues are believed to represent important ancestors or deities. According to legend, the first moai was carved by a Polynesian explorer named Hotu Matu'a, who was the island's first king.