According to diamond and heyerdahls version of the islands history, the huri. 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. To others, it is the source of one of mankinds greatest mysteries. Despite the many mysteries surrounding easter islands history, there is one fact that historians unanimously agree on. Easter island was discovered, forgotten and then rediscovered. Michael capek discusses past and present archaeological work and study on easter island while addressing questions about the islands past and the massive moai remains. Join two intrepid young women as they delve into the centuriesold mysteries of easter island. It forms the easternmost part of the polynesian triangle, and the easternmost extent of the settlement of polynesians. 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. Its people originally arrived on canoes as part of the polynesian expansion and colonization of the pacific. The spread of european diseases, especially smallpox, and the raids of spanish slavers reduced the population to slightly more than 100 by 1887. The life of katherine routledge and her remarkable expedition.
As for what those curious statues represent, they somewhat resemble rush limbaugh, who, in a former life, must have put up those darn things. There was also some speculation at this time that the easter island stone men were also a leftover of ancient aliens. Linguists estimate easter islands first inhabitants arrived around a. List of books and articles about easter island online research. This handsome volume is the story of thor heyerdahls love of a mysteryand of an island and its people.
As for what those curious statues represent, they somewhat resemble rush limbaugh, who, in a. The easter island statues, or moai, are enormous stone figures placed along. Go ahead then, declare that aliens built the statues on easter island. Oct 16, 2019 despite the many mysteries surrounding easter islands history, there is one fact that historians unanimously agree on. He explores, amongst other things, the submerged yonaguni monument off the coast of japan, easter island, angkor wat in cambodia, the pyramids of egypt and looks at astronomical alignments. There have even been claims of mystic energy fields and alien influence. Aug, 2018 easter island, also known as rapa nui, is a 63squaremile spot of land in the pacific ocean. The mystery of easter island was originally published in 1919, based upon the research of an english lady, katherine routledge, who lived on the island in 191415. The mystery of easter island amazing ancient history. The archeological record suggests a somewhat later date of. It has been suggested that islanders burned most of the trees in order to make way for clear land and also to make canoes out of the wood. Mystery of the stone giants by catherine and michel orliac a history of the remote island in the pacific ocean that was discovered by dutch sailors on easter sunday, 1722, is pieced together by archaeologists and considers the mysteries of an aweinspiring place filled with giant statues. Easter island history the new age draw new agers are enthralled by places like easter island, the pyramids, and stonehenge.
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. While easter, as we know it today, was never a pagan festival, its roots and many of its traditions have associations with ancient pagan customs and beliefs. The mystery of easter island travel smithsonian magazine. Are these stone giants simply a testament to humanitys past or c. Easter island is considered as one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. The entire island is now a national park, and the surrounding ocean in the islands exclusive economic zone was declared a marine protected area in 2017. In easter island dna, evidence of genetic loneliness the. John albert torres describes the history of a remote island in the pacific ocean that was discovered by dutch sailors on easter sunday, 1722, and offers an analysis of its famous statues and how they were constructed. Archeologists found something on easter island that leaves. Brien has explored more than 90 countries but his true passion is researching and writing about the ancient megalithic works found in peru, bolivia, mexico, easter island, egypt, england, and beyond. History, traditions, texts by steven roger fischer. I am doing a research project on easter island and i cant decide what website to use.
This guidebook includes the islands history, culture and all of its significant archaeological sites. In this extraordinary fiction debutrich with love and betrayal, history and intellectual passiontwo remarkable narratives converge on easter island, one of the most remote places in the world. Easter island history forever gone rapa nui was once a green paradise that warmly welcomed the polynesian travelers after their long journey. Understanding collapse explores the collapse of ancient civilisations, such as the roman empire, the maya, and easter island. Easter island statues, history and art at manchester museum written by james wiener easter island or rapa nui is among the most remote islands in the world, located some 3541 kilometers 2,200 miles off the coast of chile in the pacific ocean. An astrophysicist has put forward an interesting theory suggesting severe climate changes may be responsible for the disappearance of several ancient cultures, including exocivilizations or what we usually.
Easter island books 101 books goodreads share book. During march, a team of scientists led by william dandrea, associate research professor at columbia universitys lamontdoherty earth observatory, travelled to. In 1995, science writer jared diamond popularized the collapse theory in a discover magazine. Without a doubt, easter island has to be on everybodys bucket list, tsoukalos said. Most popular easter island movies and tv shows imdb. 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. Many books about easter island are superficial fluff.
In this extraordinary fiction debutrich with love and betrayal, history and. Ancient origins articles related to easter island in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends. Ancient astronaut theorist giorgio tsoukalos top ancient. Elsa pendleton travels from england to easter island with her husband, an anthropologist sent by the royal geographical society to study the colossal moai statues, and her younger sister.
Watch the mystery of the stone giants full episode ancient. Slowly unearthing the islands haunting past, they are forced to confront turbulent discoveries about themselves and the people they love, changing their lives forever. The samples showed an abundance of pollen, indicating that the island had once been heavily. The word easter is of saxon origin, eastra, the goddess of spring, in whose honour sacrifices were offered about passover time each year. The essential guidebook to this mysterious and enigmatic island, and the only book about easter island written by someone who actually lives here. Is it possible we can find proof of an alien apocalypse on easter island.
Author steven fischer examines and pens down the essential history of easter island. The mysteries of this ancient civilization have caused theories to form and today many new agers consider it to be a very spiritual place. The ensuing cultural legacy has brought the island notoriety out of proportion to the number of its. The natives were fenced in around guarded borders in the area that today is the town of hanga roa to prevent sheep theft. Their new findings show that deforestation of the island occurred gradually, and not in all. Scientists have conducted an analysis of dna from ancient skeletal remains and it turns out history of easter island is not quite as previously thought. By purchasing books through this website, you support our nonprofit organization. As befits the head of the institute of polynesian languages and literatures in auckland, new zealand, he has produced a scholarly and readable account of the islands turbulent history. Apr 09, 2020 while easter, as we know it today, was never a pagan festival, its roots and many of its traditions have associations with ancient pagan customs and beliefs. Easter island was named on easter day, 1722, by the dutch navigator jakob roggeven. The turbulent history of easter island 9781861892829. Easter island civilization was not destroyed by war.
Easter island by thor heyerdahl goodreads share book. Jun 07, 2018 is it possible we can find proof of an alien apocalypse on easter island. Easter island books includes resources to plan selfguided tours and recommended must reading to understand the history of easter island. Jul 12, 2019 easter island a secret hindu civilization. At one point in history, easter island faced extreme deforestation. She learned the rapanui language and interviewed all the old people she could find who still remembered the past. List of books and articles about easter island online. Easter island is an island and special territory of chile in the southeastern pacific ocean, at the. Known as rapa nui to its earliest inhabitants, the island was christened paaseiland, or easter island, by dutch explorers in honor of the day of their arrival in 1722. He has appeared 15 times on the ancient aliens television series as well as numerous. 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 proponents of the theory sought evidences from a number of ancient religious and mythological texts like the ramayana, book of genesis, book of enoch, book of ezekiel and even the holy bible to prove that it was the extraterrestrials who pushed mankind towards a developed form and it was the aliens who were being accepted as gods by the ancient man.
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. Feb 22, 2020 from egypt to easter island, towering figures built by ancient man stand watch over the earth. Jan, 2010 a 0 year exploration of easter island history. Its one of the most remote islands in the world with nothing for 3,000 miles around. Brien has explored more than 90 countries but his true passion is researching and writing about the ancient megalithic works found in peru. 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. Over thirty years ago, the man who did such important, pioneering work in kontiki wrote another bestselling book, akuaku, about easter island. There is no such flummery in steven fischers new book. The book starts with the ancient history of the island including population by polynesians to the civil unrest and eventual decline of the rapa nui society and subsequent contact with the europeans before moving to modern eras covering annexation and. The secrets of easter island history smithsonian magazine. Easter island is most famous for its nearly 1,000 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early rapa nui people. As a title, it certainly catches the eye, but the facts will speak for themselves, as they always do. Jun 10, 2019 go ahead then, declare that aliens built the statues on easter island.
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. Nov 19, 2017 the story speculates that this device would send a signal to its original creators if humans ever stumbled upon it. What begins as familial duty for elsa becomes a grand adventure. Among other ideas now debunked are those connecting easter island with egyptian or hindu cultures or making it the remnant of a lost continent. 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. Easter island, also known as rapa nui, is a 63squaremile spot of land in the pacific ocean. Graham hancock is a bestselling author and journalist who specializes in ancient civilizations.
Recommended by numerous educational institutions recommend us, including oxford university, michigan state university, and university of minnesota. Easter island is known for its isolation and its statues, as well as its startling degree of population decline. In 1995, science writer jared diamond popularized the collapse theory in a discover magazine story about why the easter island population was so small when european explorers arrived in 1722. Ancient history encyclopedia receives a small commission for each book sold through our affiliate partners. One archaeoastronomer suggests that a new supernova in the ancient skies. Named easter island by the dutch explorer jacob roggeveen, who first spied it on. Even though easter island is officially a part of chile, it is actually 3,686 kilometers 2,290 mi away. To some, easter island is just a tiny bit of volcanic rock in the middle of the pacific ocean. Ancient dna sheds new light on easter island mystery. Virtual tour of the hidden history of ancient easter island. Michael capek discusses past and present archaeological work and study on easter island while addressing questions about the island s past and the massive moai remains. The ancient inhabitants of easter island were not the cause of the deforestation on the island a team of spanish scientists has managed to reconstruct the past 3,000 years of history of easter island. Linguists estimate easter island s first inhabitants arrived around a.
Fast forward a little more than a thousand years and we find that the ecosystem had collapsed, resources diminished, and internal amongst the clans strife and external exploitation had destroyed their civilization. Its great for ancient astronaut enthusiasts because of the stories of people who descended from the sky, and that mythology is still told to this day. From egypt to easter island, towering figures built by ancient man stand watch over the earth. Sep 14, 2017 author steven fischer examines and pens down the essential history of easter island. The story speculates that this device would send a signal to its original creators if humans ever stumbled upon it. Nov 16, 1989 this handsome volume is the story of thor heyerdahls love of a mysteryand of an island and its people. The ancient pagan origins of easter ancient origins.
Middleton critically examines our ideas about collapse how we explain it and how we have constructed potentially misleading myths around collapses showing how and why collapse of societies was a much more complex phenomenon than is. What happened along the way that caused the island ecosystem to collapse. Easter island ancient links with new zealand maori. Jun 21, 2014 the mystery of easter island amazing ancient history documentary. The entire island is now a national park, and the surrounding ocean in the island s exclusive economic zone was declared a marine protected area in 2017. Easter island facts easter island statues dk find out. Did climate change wipe out all the aliens we are looking for.
321 282 1350 1002 1258 277 1288 1037 1176 237 349 1530 1523 980 20 617 924 1146 63 1296 1100 614 245 1528 96 1010 1643 598 1245 1144 499 1007 230 1397 370 110 937 600 88 71 423