Rapa Nui — Easter Island

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The History of Rapa Nui

The hundreds of iconic, monolithic moai scattered around the small island of Rapa Nui evoke a mysterious past, and history, that we do not understand.

The Development of Easter Island

Recent research suggests that Rapa Nui did not develop in as extreme isolation as previously thought. It is hard to comprehend that these island developed in complete isolation after the initial eastward migration and expansion of the Polynesians.

It is generally agreed that Polynesians first settled the island on their west-to-east migration path. However, it also appears that their was transfer of cultural developments in the opposite direction as well. [1]

Phases of development can also be identified by comparing archaeological data and radiocarbon dating — according to some researchers, three distinct phases of the development of ritual practices throughout Rapa Nui and the rest of East Polynesia [1] — suggesting greater interconnected network between islands than previously thought.

1. Phase I, 1000–1300 CE — In the first phase we see the initial east-west expansion. Ritual space was expressed through action, feasting and burials, with spaces marked by upright stone. [1]
   • Each new area settled
2. Phase II, 1300–1600 CE — Ritual practices transformed visibly into more complex ahu/marae structures. It is possible that this was done to venerate, memorialize, and immortalize certain deities, as they played out their mythos in ritual. Or perhaps, the worship and memory of the ancestors also played a role. [1] Ideas surrounding “materialization of ideology” expanded through established networks in the southeastern Pacific from Pitcairn Islands to Society Islands [1] — and perhaps beyond. Genetic studies indicate contact b/w Central Pacific and Rapa Nui during the 14th century. [1]
3. Phase III, — During the third phase it is believed that interconnectedness diminishes, with the flourishing of internal vertical hierarchies and power struggles. [1]