Rapa NuiOverview

Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Polynesian Discovery

The date of Polynesian discovery is disputed by historians:

300-400 CE

700-800 CE

1200 CE

European Discovery

The first recorded European contact with the island was on 5th April, 1722 (Easter Sunday), when Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen visited the island for a week and estimated there were 2000 – 3000 inhabitants on the island.

Archaeologists estimate there were as many as 10,000 – 15,000 inhabitants within a century earlier. Many may have been frightened into hiding, or they may have perished.

Roggeveen’s men got into a fight with the islanders, killing 10-12.

Two Spanish ships visited the island in 1770.

Captain James Cook arrived in 1774 and made the first detailed survey of the island.

At the time of first contact with Europeans, the Rapa Nui called the island ‘Te Pito O Te Henua’, translated as ‘naval of the world’, ‘end of the world’ and ‘lands’ end’.

Peruvian Slave Trade

In 1862, Peruvian slavers raided the island and kidnapped around 1,000 men to the guano islands off the Peruvian coast.

The Rapa Nui were forced to mine guano for one year during which 900 died.

Facing international scandal, the Peruvian government sent the remaining 100 men back, but only 15 survived the trip.

Infected with smallpox, they spread the disease to those on the island, reducing the population to around 25 % of what it had been in 1862.

Depopulation, disease, fear of outsiders, and death of many leaders led to cultural disintegration and a loss of much of the traditional culture within a decade.

Conversion to Catholicism

Catholic missionaries arrived in 1863.

Within ten years, all surviving Easter Islanders were converted to Roman Catholicism.

Many economic and social practices taught by priests replaced traditional cultural practices.

Relationship with Chile

In 1888 Chile annexed the island and leased 160 square km to sheep ranchers for wool.

20 square km were set aside for the Rapa Nui.

In 1965, in response to islander complaints, the island was put under civilian control.

Easter Island is currently a dependency of Chile and Easter Islanders are Chilean citizens.

Rapa Nui activists have been fighting for their right of self determination and possession of the island.

The Moai

887 moai were carved over around 500 years.

Considered remarkable creative and physical feats.

Believed to be the living faces of deified ancestors.

Some stood 30 feet tall (9.1m) and weighed 60 tonnes.

Moved 9 miles from quarry to platform.

Their discovery by Europeans led to several explanations for their construction:

Made by a race of giants.

Made by aliens.

Explanations for Construction

In 1955, Thor Heyerdahl led an archaeological expedition to the island.

He showed that carving them was not difficult as the rock is volcanic ash – quite soft and easily cut.

He showed that it wasn’t very difficult to drag the sculptures – with enough people.

Later, American archaeologists showed that the moai could be transported using logs.