More than 2,000 miles from Tahiti and from Chile, is an island in the South Pacific known as Rapa Nui, or more commonly known as Easter Island. The island was discovered on Easter day in 1722 by Admiral Roggeveen. During its habitation period, the population on the island may have been as high as 10,000, which is likely the reason for its downfall. The resources available couldn't support a population as large as that and would have quickly been depleted.
Perhaps the most mysterious and obvious artifacts on the island are the huge partially buried monoliths that resemble human figures. These carved stone figures line up along the coasts and lover look the ocean. Their exact purpose isn't known, but when the island was discovered, all of the monoliths, or Moai, were tipped over. According to archaeologists, the lack of resources probably caused a civil war that ended up with the people knocking over the statues.
The origin of the Rapa Nui inhabitants has been cause for speculation among anthropologists and archaeologists for years. Several theories speculate an origin from Peru or from the Polynesian islands. There is a very close similarity between Incan stone masonry and Easter Island stone walls, which led the famous Thor Heyerdahl to think that there was a Peruvian origin. He also noted the similarity between Incan carvings and those found on Easter Island. Heyerdahl even built a balsa wood raft called the Kon Tiki and sailed it on the currents from Peru to the Polynesian islands, proving that it was possible for Peruvians to have reached Easter Island. But, archaeological evidence points more to a Polynesian influence starting around AD 400.
As well as the monoliths, archaeologists found evidence of a written language, the Rongorongo script, which is believed to be the only written language in Polynesia, and petroglyphs on the rocks. Without first hand knowledge, however, the meaning for the petroglyphs or the Moai may never be completely understood. But, probably the most convincing evidence of a Polynesian origin comes from several skeletons found on the island. When scientists examined DNA samples from the skeletons in 1994, they found they were indeed Polynesian.
Most people these days are willing to accept the Polynesian origin theory, but no matter where the first inhabitants came from, one thing was certain, they were capable sailors. Whether they traveled from Peru or Polynesia, they would have had to have seafaring knowledge and skill to travel thousands of miles on the open ocean. Thor Heyerdahl proved it was possible. There is a legend that says the great chief Hotu Matu'a took his family and sailed from the Polynesian islands to Easter Island about 1,500 years ago. This story is as good an explanation as any for the arrival of the first people.
It's hard to imagine now, that Easter Island was once a lush land of palm trees and agriculture, including sweet potatoes. Just to add some confusion into the origin question is the sweet potato. This vegetable has been found to have originated in South America. So, how did the Polynesian islanders get their hands on the sweet potato? That brings up yet another theory.
It's possible that since the Polynesians were such experienced sailors, they could have traveled as far as Peru, learned about the stone masonry and sweet potatoes. Then, they took the knowledge of the stone work and some sweet potatoes, and sailed back, ending up on Easter Island. Of course, this would have taken some time and been a very risky venture, but it's a viable explanation, and probably about the best one at this time.
So, even though the great culture that was once thriving on Easter Island is gone, visitors are able to walk around in awe at the massive stone Moai and wonder how they came to be. The Moai, however, don't appear quite ready to give up their secrets and continue to stare out at the endless expanse of ocean.
