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The History of Easter Island: The Indigenous Rapa Nui (Great/Big Rapa) Name for “Easter Island”, the Only Freshwater Upon Easter Island, Easter Island Once Supporting a Dense Forest, the Concept of “Ecocide”, the Location of Easter Island, the Polynesian Term for the Location of Easter Island, the Etymology of “Te Pito O Te Henua” (the Navel of the World), the Mythology of the First Settler of Easter Island, the Period When Human Beings Migrated From the African Continent, the Ambiguity of Who Discovered and Founded Easter Island, the Reason the Rapa Nui Have Been Compared to the Vikings, the Technology Which Allowed the Polynesians to Explore and Colonize the Pacific Ocean, How the Polynesians Determined Their Latitude Whilst Sailing, the Reason the Polynesians Could Sail Against Trade Winds, the Polynesian Tradition for Young Men, the Length of Time This Tradition Takes to Complete, the Hypothesized Period of When the Rapa Nui Colonized Easter Island, the Period When Mass Colonization of Easter Island Began, the Reason Scientists Understand That Easter Island Had Multiple Generations of Human Beings, the Rock and Quarry Region Utilized to Create the Moai (Statue) of Easter Island, the Various Locations of Moai Across Easter Island, the Difficulty of Carving Ahu (Ceremonial Altar) Platforms for Moai, the Hairstyle Discovered Upon Multiple Moai, the Concept of “Pukau” (Cylindircal Hat Stone of Moai), the Person Who Discovered How the Moai Were Constructed, How the Moai Were Constructed, Norwegian Ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl Working With Rapa Nui to Re-Construct a Moai During the Modern Day, the Time Required to Construct a Moai, the Number of Moai Situated Upon the Hillside of the Rano Raraku Volcano (the Grooved Volcano With an Inner Lagoon), the Majority of Each Moai Being Underground, How Scientists Developed the Hypothesis of the Usage of the Moai, the Hypothesis of Why the Moai Were Constructed, European Historical Accounts of Rapa Nui Bowing and Lighting Fires in Front of Moai, How Rapa Nui Society Was Setup, the Reason the Moai Are Pointed Inward Facing Toward Easter Island, the Ambiguity of the Rapa Nui Interacting With Other Polynesian Cultures, Heyerdahl Releasing the Easter Island: The Mystery Solved Publication, the Problem With This Title, Swiss Author Eric von Daniken’s View of How the Moai Were Constructed, the Reason Easter Island is Intersected With Pathways, Heyerdahl Attempting to Replicate the Original Rapa Nui Transport Network During the Modern Day, the Discovery Heyerdahl Made After Transporting Moai a Short Distance, the Rapa Nui Remembering the Most Catastrophic Period of Easter Island During the Modern Day, the Hypothesis of the Events Which Collapsed the Rapa Nui Civilization, the Impact of Deforestation Upon Easter Island During the 17th Century, the Age of the Forests of Easter Island, the Original Horticulture and Topography of Easter Island, the Multiple Benefits of Palm Trees for the Rapa Nui, the Rapa Nui Historical Account of a Period of Conflict Upon Easter Island, the Reason the Rapa Nui Possibly Practiced Cannibalism, the Length of Time Easter Island Remained Peaceful During the First 1500 Years of Existence, the Reason Some Moai are Toppled Over, the Reason the Rapa Nui Mass Produced Mata’a (Spearhead/Battle Axe), the Possibility of Easter Island Being Over Populated Between 1400 A.D. – 1700, One of the Most Important Facilities for the Study of Polynesia, the Possibility of the Modern Day Interpretation of Mata’a Being Incorrect, the Use of the Mata’a Within Rapa Nui Agriculture, the Reason Scientists Understand Conflict Was Uncommon for the Rapa Nui, the Reason Scientists Believe Mass Famine Occurred Upon Easter Island, the Age of the Rapa Nui Kavakava (Ribs) Sculptures, the Enigma of Rapa Nui Kavakava Sculptures Constructed 2 Centuries Prior to Famine, the Importance of the Human Skeleton Within Polynesian Cultures, the Modern Day Hypothesis of Why Kavakava Sculptures Were Crafted, the Most Revealing Sign of Conflict Upon Easter Island, the Number of Moai Erected Atop Ahu During the 1960’s, the Reason Scientists Believe This Was Intentionally Implemented, the Use of Moai to Secure Grave Sites, the Location Dutch Explorer Jacob Roggeveen Was Searching for in 1721, the Person Who Discovered Easter Island, the Concept of “Terra Australis Incognita” (Unknown Southern Hemisphere Land), the Reason Roggeveen Was Unable to Dock the Afrikaansche Galey (African Galey) Ship at Easter Island, the Number of Crew Members Roggeveen Ordered to Land Upon Easter Island, the Result of Roggeveen’s Crew Meeting With the Rapa Nui, the Reason the Rapa Nui Permitted the Dutch to Explore Easter Island, the Reason Other European Explorers Were Able to Locate Easter Island Post Discovery, the State of Easter Island and the Rapa Nui When the Dutch Explored Easter Island, the Release of the Robinson Crusoe Publication, the Single Piece of Evidence Which Suggests Cannibalism Upon Easter Island, the Reason Evidence of Rapa Nui Cannibalism is Considered Insufficient During the Modern Day, the View of Cannibalism Within Most Cultures World Wide, the Reason the Rapa Nui are Believed to Have Been Pacifists During the 18th Century, Roggeveen’s View and Report of the Rapa Nui Civilization During the 18th Century, the Rapa Nui Rock Art Displayed Within the Ana Kai Tangata (Cave Where Men Eat/Cave Which Eats Men) Sea Cave of Easter Island, the Location the Rapa Nui Held Tangata Manu (Bird Man) Ceremonies, the Tangata Manu Competition of the Rapa Nui, How the Tangata Manu Competition Works, the Reason Birds Were Important to the Rapa Nui, the Period When Catholic Missionaries Observed the Final Tangata Manu Ceremonies, the Dominant Religion of Easter Island During the Modern Day, the Number of Low Relief Petroglyphs Upon Easter Island, the Reason the Rapa Nui Tattooed Their Skin, Moai of the Ahu vs Moai of the Road, Abandon Moai Statues Unable to be Erected, the Considerations When Constructing a Moai, the Reason the Moai Can be Transported Standing Upright, Evidence of the Rapa Nui Understanding Physics, Movement, and Transport, the Reason Multiple Disparate Versons of the Moai Exist, the Best Shape to Transport Via a Rocking Movement, the Only Shape Which Allowed for the Transport of Moai, the Number of Moai Upon Easter Island, the Number of Trees Required to Produce a Single Moai, the Number of Trees Upon Easter Island Calculated by European Settlers During the 18th Century vs the Number of Trees Upon Easter Island Calculated by Scientists During the Modern Day, the Most Unlikely Causations of Forest Depletion Upon Easter Island, the Scientific Classification of Easter Island, the Poor Agricultural Conditions of Easter Island, the Most Common Causation of Deforestation World Wide During the Past Few Centuries, the Benefits of Intentionally Cutting and Burning Forests, the Rapa Nui Being Unaware of the Benefits of Deforestation for Agriculture Throughout History, the Period When Deforestation Began and Ended Upon Easter Island, the Number of Workers Required to Cause Deforestation Upon Easter Island, the Possibility of Easter Island Being Subject to More Conjecture and Speculation Than Any Other Location in the World, the First Region of Easter Island to Experience Deforestation, the Rapa Nui Developing Agricultural Strategies to Conserve and Recycle the Nutrients of Top Soil, the Deliberate Placement of Stones by the Rapa Nui, the Reason European Settlers Believed Easter Island to Have Poor Agricultural Resources, the Reason the Rapa Nui Deliberately Placed Stones Across Easter Island, These Stones Continuing to Preserve Easter Island’s Soil During the Modern Day, the Concept and Advent of “Lithic Mulching”, How Deliberate Stone Placements Protected Easter Island, the Number of Persons and the Time Required to Implement This Strategy, the Concept of “Manavai” (Stone Wall to Retail Soil Moisture and Protect Agriculture), Agricultural Workers vs Gardeners, How Manavai Were Setup, the Number of Manavai Across Easter Island, How the Rapa Nui Cultivated Agriculture Which Requires Shade, the Network of Natural Underground Caverns Below Easter Island, the Hypothesis of Why European Missionaries Did Not Interact With Many Rapa Nui Women, How the Rapa Nui Cultivated Protein, the Reason the Rapa Nui Were Reluctant to Consume Fish, the Weather Conditions Near the Coastline of Easter Island, the Benefit of Deep Water and a Rocky Shore for the Rapa Nui, the Institution Which Discovered an Elaborate Network of Dams, Channels, and Stone Pavement Upon Easter Island, the Reason Water Cannot Be Contained by the Dams of Easter Island During the Modern Day, the Reason Scientists Understand That the Rapa Nui Understood Finite Resource Management, the Period When the Spanish Government and English Government Began Sending Voyages to Easter Island, English Explorer James Cook’s Quote Post Visiting Easter Island, the Reason the Rapa Nui Were Unable to Construct an Ocean Faring Vessel, Dutch Explorers Introducing Pathogens Into Easter Island and the Impact of This, the State of Easter Island When Cook Visited in 1774, the Hypothesis of Why the Rapa Nui Placed All Moai Facing Downward, the Decline of the Polynesian Population Post the Arrival of European Explorers, the Reason the Rapa Nui Were Unable to Sustain Their Elaborate Social Hierarchy, the Most Common Ships Which Visited Easter Island During the 19th Century, the U.S. Ship Which Abducted Rapa Nui as Crew Mates, the Reason No Ships Were Permitted Entry to Easter Island Post This Event, the Reason the Rapa Nui Were Unable to Repel Ships as the 19th Century Progressed, the Concept of “Blackbirding”, the Reason Ships Resorted to Abducting Polynesians, the Period When the Largest Ships Were Sent to Easter Island to Abduct Rapa Nui, the Reason This Was Catastrophic for Rapa Nui Culture, the Outcome for Most Abducted Rapa Nui, the Person Who Helped Repatriate These Abducted Rapa Nui, the Number of Rapa Nui Who Returned to Easter Island Post Abduction, the Period When Rapa Nui Culture Became Extinct, the Culture Which Converted the Majority of Rapa Nui to Christian Catholicism, the Person Who Began Purchasing Easter Island Land Legally and Illegally During the 1860’s, the Use of This Land by French Mariner Jean Baptiste Dutrou-Bornier, the Death of Dutrou-Bornier, the Result of This Assassination for the Rapa Nui and Easter Island, the Population of Easter Island in 1877, the Reason All Rapa Nui are Genetically Related During the Modern Day, the Length of Time European Colonization Took to Eradicate Rapa Nui Culture, the Country Which Annexed Easter Island in 1888, the Rapa Nui Gift Provided to His Majesty’s Ship the Topaze in 1868, the Most Viewed Moai in the World, the Person Whose Publication Caused Easter Island to Become Internationally Recognized, English Ethnographer William Routledge (Katherine Routledge’s Husband) and English Author Katherine Routledge (William Routledge’s Wife) Commissioning a Schooner to Sail to Easter Island in 1914, the Primary Interest of Katherine Routledge, the Contention Between the Easter Island Public and the Chilean Government During the Modern Day, the Rapa Nui Desiring Independence for Easter Island During the Modern Day, the Reason Many Rapa Nui Speak Spanish During the Modern Day, the Rapa Nui Population and Total Population of Easter Island During the Modern Day, the Number of Tourists Who Visit Easter Island Annually, the Period When the Rapa Nui Began to Re-Erect the Moai of Easter Island, the Reason the Rapa Nui of Easter Island Support Tourism and Trade During the Modern Day, the Reason No Vegetation Grows Near Eucalyptus Trees Upon Easter Island, the Most Visible Evidence of Soil Erosion Damage Upon Easter Island, and the Non-Renewable Resource of Easter Island Soil

Easter Island is referred to as “Rapa Nui” (pronounced “rah-pah new-ee”) to the indigenous people who inhabit the island. The only fresh water upon the island is the water which collects in the craters of volcanos. Geologists have discovered that the now barren landscape once supported a diverse and dense forest. It is believed that the Rapa Nui people collided with catastrophe via ecocide, ecological suicide, by over exploiting natural resources to build the Moai (pronounced “mow-eye”) monolith...


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