Debunking Easter Island Collapse with Dr. Carl Lipo

When British explorers first discovered Easter Island, and the Rapa Nui people, they were amazed at the iconic stone heads dotted around the island. But they were perplexed that this remote island, 1,000 miles off the coast of Chile in the Pacific Ocean, only had a population of a few thousand inhabitants. How could such a small nation have created these massive statues and survived in this rugged environment? From their European perspective, they made a lot of assumptions, and the prevailing theory soon became that the Rapa Nui must have been a much larger civilization that had since dwindled due to poor management of the island’s resources. A narrative took hold of the so-called “Easter Island Collapse.” But today, archeologists are working to debunk this misguided theory. We recently hosted a virtual press briefing with members of the media to discuss the latest research about Easter Island and why the evidence suggests a much more nuanced understanding of the history of its people. Newswise COO Thom Canalichio will introduce our guest and moderate the briefing.