NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology - Easter Island Radiocarbon Ages (EIRA) Database

The archaeological and anthropological relevance of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) for human history in a regional Pacific context has been highlighted since the early 20th century (Routledge, 1919). At first, the interest was focused on the giant stone statues called moai, which had been carved on the island’s volcanic rocks by an enigmatic ancient civilization. The interest on the island received a boost several decades ago, after the expedition leaded by Thor Heyedahl (Heyerdahl and Ferdon, 1961) and the first palynological studies suggesting a recent ecological catastrophe, led by an abrupt island-wide deforestation likely due to the over-exploitation of natural resources, and an ensuing cultural collapse (Flenley and King, 1984; Flenley et al., 1991). This ‘ecocidal’ theory became paradigmatic and the case of Easter Island was considered a microcosmic model for the whole planet and a warning against the uncontrolled use and of natural resources (Flenley and Bahn, 2003; Diamond, 2005). Further archaeological and palaeoecological studies have challenged this ecocidal theory (Hunt, 2007; Hunt and Lipo, 2006, 2011; Lipo and Hunt, 2016), which has revitalized the debate on the recent cultural history of Easter Island (reviews in Rull et al., 2010, 2013).