Easter island was discovered, forgotten and then rediscovered. There are many myths about easter island so we thought wed take a look at some of the known facts about this mysterious destination. Easter island, known as rapa nui to the people living there, is a small island in the pacific ocean, 2,300 miles 3,700km west of chile. Easter island is surrounded by thousands of miles of ocean on all sides, and several layers of mystery. Its inhabitants, the rapa nui, have endured famines, epidemics of disease and cannibalism, civil war, environmental collapse, slave raids, various colonial contacts, and have seen their population crash on more than one occasion. To its original inhabitants the island is known as rapa nui, and its population is predominantly of polynesian descent. The reason why the easter island is famous is that of its ancient 900 giant stone figures. Elsa beazley arrives at easter island in 1916 with her new husband and her mentally handicapped sister. Slowly unearthing the islands haunting past, they are forced to confront turbulent discoveries about themselves and the people they love, changing their lives forever. In 1776, rhode island was the first of the colonies to renounce its allegiance to the british crown.
Easter island facts and history top secret writers. Named easter island by the dutch explorer jacob roggeveen, who first spied it on easter day 1722, this tiny spit of volcanic rock in the vast south seas is, even today, the most remote inhabited. Guide for inquisitve minds is one of those books that captures the imagination right from the start. This book, part of the new york times bestselling series, is enhanced by. The essential guidebook to this mysterious and enigmatic island, and the only book about easter island written by someone who actually lives here. The islanders had migrated, perhaps accidentally, to a place with little water and fundamentally unproductive soil with. Easter island books includes resources to plan selfguided tours and recommended must reading to understand the history of easter island. Easter island, also known as rapa nui, is a tiny island known for its huge moai statues scattered all over the island the world is fascinated by the creation of these statues not only for the impressive size and quantity of them, but also for the circumstances under which they were built. In 1888, chile annexed the island, which remains a territory of the nation to this day. Migrations and settlements, the evolution of a culture, wars between tribes, and ultimate decimation of a whole population define the course of easter island history. On easter sunday, april 5, 1722, a dutch sea captain named jacob roggeveen landed his ship on an island known as te pito o te henua, meaning the center of the world. Linguists estimate easter islands first inhabitants arrived around a. It was perfect because not only does it tell you history and legend, but also things you need to know day to day, plus fun stuff like the passport stamp. Famous for its giant stone figures, called moai, the island is thought to have been named easter island because the first european visitor arrived on easter sunday, 1722.
Katherine, along with her husband, conducted the first excavations on easter island. In fact, their descendants are making art and renewing their cultural traditions. Oct 29, 2017 the birthplace of most of the material was an extinct volcano situated in the northeast of easter island and not another planet. Scientists finally discovered the truth about easter island. The spread of european diseases, especially smallpox, and the raids of spanish slavers reduced the population to slightly more than 100 by 1887. Easter island is a 2003 historical novel by jennifer vanderbes. The turbulent history of easter island 9781861892829. It was made a unesco world heritage site in 1995, and it is also one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. It is famous for its 887 huge statues called moai, made by the early rapa nui people. It is also one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. Easter island, chilean dependency in the eastern pacific ocean.
Historians and anthropologists have spent decades trying to understand the culture of its early inhabitants and the towering moai statues that they built. Jo anne van tilburg, founder of the easter island statue project and a scientist at the. Prior to island came into existence, natives of rapa nui believed, 500 years ago, they are the only people living on earth. Join two intrepid young women as they delve into the centuriesold mysteries of easter island. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of easter island by jennifer vanderbes. It is located in the pacific ocean approximately 2200 miles 3600 kilometers off the coast of the country of chile, which owns the island. Scientists have learned many of the answers, although some things still remain. Steven roger fischer offers the first englishlanguage history of easter island in island at the end of the world, a fascinating chronicle of adversity, triumph, and. The natives were fenced in around guarded borders in the area that today is the town of hanga roa to prevent sheep theft.
Easter island is believed to have been settled between 700 to 1200 ce, around the same time that settlers first arrived in hawaii. It is the easternmost outpost of the polynesian island world and is famous for its giant stone statues. The rapa nui are the aboriginal polynesian inhabitants of easter island in the pacific ocean. Easter island, plays loosely with the facts of routledges 191415 sojourn. The reason why the easter island is famous is that of its ancient 900 giant stone figures speculations were many regarding the precise purpose of the statues, the role of the ancient civilization of this place and the way they might have been built and moved. The secrets of easter island history smithsonian magazine. Ranking first place on the united nations isolation index, easter island is the most secluded inhabited island in the world. Apr 06, 2016 all the facts about easter island rapa nui facts easter island facts easter island roughly covers around sixtyfour square miles in the south pacific ocean and is located about 2500 miles east of tahiti and 2300 miles from the chiles west coast.
The easternmost polynesian culture, the descendants of the original people of easter island make up about 60% of the current easter island population and have a significant portion of their population residing in mainland chile. A guide to easter island, chile national geographic. I read the entire book before i left, then took it with me to reference while i was there. Opinion a parable of selfdestruction the new york times. Easter island is one of the worlds most famous yet least visited archaeological sites. It was according to the archaeologists that the moai statues were built keeping the same idea in mind. For one, the fact that rapa nui was ever inhabited is amazing itself.
Rapa nui or easter island is a remote island with a lot of theories about the inhabitants, the statues and the past and history. Mar 17, 2018 easter islands demise is a lesson for the world. Scientists and historians have since solved the mystery. Completely isolated in the middle of the pacific ocean, the island is 3,700km west of the coast of continental chile. The capital city is hanga roa it is famous for its 887 huge statues called moai, made by the early rapa nui people. The mystery of easter island travel smithsonian magazine. Polynesia, which comes from a greek word meaning many islands, is a large area of islands in the pacific ocean. Easter island was named on easter day, 1722, by the dutch navigator jakob roggeven. Jan, 2010 a 0 year exploration of easter island history. The statues, or moai, were built over hundreds of years by easter islanders themselves. Good book, good story that deserves to be read for years and years.
The mystery of the moai begins with the people who created them. Jan 30, 2018 rapa nui or easter island is a remote island with a lot of theories about the inhabitants, the statues and the past and history. Easter island covers roughly 64 square miles in the south pacific ocean, and is located some 2,300 miles from chiles west coast and 2,500 miles east of tahiti. Two new books draw inspiration from the islands abiding riddles. In 1995, unesco named easter island a world heritage site. In his book collapse, jared diamond refers to the rapanuis. Easter island also has a huge crater called rano kau at the edge of the island. The people who live on easter island call the island rapa nui. Easter island facts easter island statues dk find out.
According to diamond and heyerdahls version of the islands history, the huri. Also known as rapa nui to its earliest owners, the easter island was christened paaseiland,in 1722 by the dutch explorers in the honor of the. Easter island facts and the history of moai statues. Within the polynesian triangle, it is located at the southeasternmost point. Other scientists who work on the island also remain skeptical of hunts later colonization date of 1200 a. Although it presents very interesting history and facts of easter island i would have been. This book presents a comprehensive history of easter island told by a writer who is intimately familiar with the island, its people and their extraordinary story. Named easter island by the dutch explorer jacob roggeveen, who first spied it. The birthplace of most of the material was an extinct volcano situated in the northeast of easter island and not another planet.
Easter island mystery statues history and facts mysterioustrip. Easter island simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. This concise account of easter islan history presents some new scholarhsip and rehashes the same stories of the islands remarkable facts and people. Restrained passion and conflicted loyalties drive this sweeping debut novel, in which two women of different eras experience the mysteries of easter island. It lies in the southeastern pacific ocean in oceania, and although it is still a distant 3,800 kilometres 2,360 miles off its coast, chile is the closest country to easter island. The early rapa nui people had created 887 extant monumental statues in easter island. Easter island is most famous for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early rapa nui people.
The ensuing cultural legacy has brought the island notoriety out of proportion to the number of its. Of volcanic origin, easter island is mostly covered with grasslands and is swept by strong trade winds. Geologically one of the youngest inhabited territories on earth, easter island, located in the midpacific ocean, was, for most of its history, one of the most isolated. Easter island history the island itself many people have found easter island history very fascinating. Facts about easter island inform us with a chilean island in spanish. Easter island is a polynesian island in the southeastern pacific ocean. Easter island is an island and special territory of chile in the southeastern pacific ocean, at the. They speak both the traditional rapa nui language and the primary language. Easter island is known for its isolation and its statues, as well as its startling degree of population decline. It is located in the pacific ocean approximately 2200 miles 3600 kilometers off. Captain roggeveen renamed the island easter island. Easter island, a polynesian island famous for its 887 moai statues, is located in the southeastern pacific ocean and is technically a chilean island.
In the crater there is a natural lake and it is one of only three bodies of. Discover the rapa nui people of easter island and the mysterious stone maoi that dot the island. A book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Was jared diamond right about the collapse of easter island. Easter island had been a home for 2,000 to 3,000 people by the time europeans came to the island in 1722. List of books and articles about easter island online. The island has a population of about 5,800, most of whom are descended from the original inhabitants. Polynesia polynesian islands history facts dk find out. However they got to easter island, the rodents found an unlimited food supply.
There is also a small thread of a german world war i naval squadron present in the book. It is an a wonderful collection of facts, scientific and historical with current theories added to the mix. Rhode island was one of the original colonies, first settled by roger williams in 1636. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. About half of the inhabitants are of polynesian stock.
No mention of the history of easter island can be complete without a reference to katherine routledge, the first woman archaeologist to work in polynesia. All the facts about easter island rapa nui facts easter island facts easter island roughly covers around sixtyfour square miles in the south pacific ocean and is located about 2500 miles east of tahiti and 2300 miles from the chiles west coast. What happened along the way that caused the island ecosystem to collapse. Geologically one of the youngest inhabited territories on earth, easter island, located in the midpacific ocean, was, for most of its history, one of the most isolated its inhabitants, the rapa nui, have endured famines, epidemics of disease and cannibalism, civil war, environmental collapse, slave raids, various colonial contacts, and have seen their population crash on more than one occasi. The first people to settle here, however, were the polynesians, who arrived many. The first easter island settlement is said to have been at anakena, the landing point on the island that provides the most protection from rough maritime weather. This guidebook includes the islands history, culture and all of its significant archaeological sites. Rather than a case of abject failure, the authors argue, rapa nui is an unlikely story of success.
Easter island is a small, hilly and treeless island of volcanic origin. It is an a wonderful collection of facts, scientific and historical with current theories added to. The archeological record suggests a somewhat later date of. Easter island facts all about rapa nui and the moai statues. Heather moore niver provides information about easter island and its moai statues, including such facts as that its largest volcano can be seen from space and that some moai wear red hats for special rituals. Easter island is famous for its hundreds of moai, or giant stone statues.
Surprising things men found attractive 50 years ago. Easter island is the story of two women who went to the island and did research. A few easter island facts the island is triangular in shape, volcanic in origin and is. In the previous century, easter island was occupied by 15,000 people. The area forms a triangular shape with new zealand in the southwest, the hawaiian islands in the north, and easter island in the southeast. Most scholars suspect that the moai were created to honor ancestors, chiefs, or other important personages, however, no written and little oral history exists on the island, so its impossible. Of all the interesting easter island facts, the transportation of the islands statues moai is considered remarkable given that they were moved 18km 11mi across the island without the use of wheels, cranes or large animals.
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