Description
Book SynopsisEaster Island, isolated deep in the South Pacific and now a World Heritage Site, was home to a fascinating prehistoric cultureone that produced massive stone effigies (the moai) and the birdman cultand yet much of the island's past remains shrouded in mystery. Where did the islanders come from, and when? How did Rapa Nui culture evolve over the centuries? How, and why, did their natural environment change over time?Paul Bahn and John Flenley guide readers through the mysteries and enigmas of Rapa Nui, incorporating the records of early explorers, folk legends, and archaeological evidence along the way. They cover the island's geological and environmental history and explore its flora and fauna, illustrating how human actions affected the natural environment of the island. This fourth edition draws in: recent DNA studies of ancient human and animal bones as well as plant remains; evolving understandings of how the moai were transported; and current efforts to reforest the island.
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction: European Discovery 1: The Island and its Geography Part I: The Original "Boat People" 2: Where Did They Come From? East or West? 3: How Did They Get There, and Why? 4: Living on an Island Part II: Ancestors of Stone: A Petrified Dream 5: Statues and Ceremonies 6: The Riddle of the Quarry 7: Rocking or Rolling: How Were the Statues Moved? 8: Platforms and Pukao: Errecting the Statues Part III: The Aftermath 9: Crash Go The Ancestors 10: Orongo and Rongo Rongo 11: The Island That Self-Destructed 12: The Last Enigma
