3. Easter Island's human history began with the settlement of the island by Polynesians, who are likely
to have arrived from the islands of Mangareva or Pitcairn to the west. The history of Easter Island
can be related with the aid of a reconstructed king list of Easter Island, complete with events and
approximate dates since 400. These Polynesian settlers brought bananas, taro, sweet potato,
sugarcane, and paper mulberry, as well as chickens. The island at one time supported a relatively
advanced and complex civilization. The European discovery of the island, by the Dutch navigator
Jakob Roggeveen, occurred in 1722 on Easter Day. Roggeveen found about 2,000-3,000
inhabitants on the island, but it appears that there were as many as 10,000-15,000 of them in the
16th and 17th centuries. The civilization of Easter Island had degenerated drastically during the 100
years before the arrival of the Dutch, owing to the overpopulation, deforestation and exploitation of
the extremely isolated island with its limited natural resources. However, by the mid-19th century
the population had recovered to about 4,000 inhabitants. Then in a mere 20 years, deportation to
Peru and Chile and diseases brought by Westerners almost exterminated the whole population,
with only 111 inhabitants left on the island in 1877. The island was annexed by Chile in 1888 (by
Policarpo Toro). The native Rapanui have gradually recovered from their low of 111 inhabitants.
Note that the name "Rapa Nui" is not the Rapanui's original name for the island. It was coined by
labour immigrants from the original Rapa in the Bass Islands who likened it to their home island.
The Rapanui name of Rapa Nui is Te pito o te henua ("Navel of the World") due to its isolation, but
this too seems to be derived from another location, possibly a Marquesan landmark.
Recent events have shown a tremendous increase of tourism on the island, coupled with a large
inflow of people from mainland Chile, threatening to alter the Polynesian identity of the island. The
possession of the land has created political tensions in the past 20 years, with part of the native
Rapanui opposed to private property and in favor of the traditional communal property of the land.
(See Demography below.)
History
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Moai in Hanga Roa, with Chilean Navy training ship Buque Escuela
Esmeralda cruising behind
A Moai
The large stone statues, or moai, for which Easter Island is world famous were
carved at a later time than was initially thought. Archeologists now estimate
that they were carved between 1600 and 1730, the last one being carved
around the time when Jakob Roggeveen discovered the island. There are
more than 600 large monolithic stone statues, called moai, on the island.
Although often identified as "heads", the statues actually have complete torsos;
many moai, however, have become buried up to their necks. Most were
carved out of the rock at Rano Raraku. The quarry there seems to have been
abandoned abruptly, with half-carved statues left in the rock. The most
common theory is that the statues were carved by the Polynesian inhabitants
(Rapanui) at a time when the island was largely planted with trees and
resources were plentiful, supporting a population of 10,000-15,000 native
Rapanui. The majority of the statues were still standing when Jakob
Roggeveen arrived in 1722. Captain James Cook also saw many standing
statues when he landed on the island in 1774. By the 19th century, all the
statues had been toppled in internecine wars. See the moai page for a more
extensive
The Moai
9. Moai in Hanga Roa, with Chilean Navy training ship Buque Escuela
Esmeralda cruising behind
The Moai
10. The Moai are seen all over the island, and in
different shapes, sizes, and stages of
completion. Many Moaiare left unfinished at
the quarry site. No one is sure yet as to
what purposes did the Moai served, but
outside scholarly research together with
accumulated local knowledge, shows
evidence that the Moai were carved by the
ancestors of the present inhabitants.
12. Many of the were buried up to their shoulders and thereby appearing as
disembodied heads.
All of the Moai were toppled in tribal wars about 250 years ago.
Many have recently been rebuilt - starting in the 1950's.
13. The Moai were excavated for the first time by Thor Heyerdahl in the
1950's and were photographed at that time.
14. Moai sit on platforms - ceremonial
shrines called Ahu. It is also aligned to the moon.
15. RONGORONGO
Rongo-rongo is the hieroglyphic script of Easter Island. It has remained a mystery since
its discovery. For over a hundred years, controversy has raged over the meaning and
source of these enigmatic characters.
