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Easter Island: Archaeology, Ecology and Culture
Making use of new archeological evidence and new concepts of ecology and culture, the author examines the Island's prehistory, myth, and folklore, and offers an extended analysis of its famous statues, explaining how they were constructed and transported. UP.
- GenresNonfiction
Hardcover
First published September 1, 1994
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July 21, 2020
I was lucky enough to travel to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) a couple of years ago. I went off-season, during their winter, and I'm glad I did because things were a little slower and not so crowded then.
Having been there, I can see that it must be terribly difficult to find concrete evidence of the early settlement of the island -- evidence of culture, religion, leadership, political life, etc. Other than the huge statues, very little remains from those early days. Oral tradition is mostly related to the Birdman era.
So, I appreciate that the author had to make comparisons with similar Polynesian islands and peoples in trying to find validity for the various theories of life in the "old days". She did a good job, but I think I learned more about the rest of Polynesia than I did about Rapa Nui! I would have loved to read some oral history interviews, but I know they were hard to come by. All in all, this is a very good academic look at what anthropologists believe to be the history and cultural development of the island.
By the way, there is a very nice little natural history and history museum close to town. It's worth spending a little time there.
Having been there, I can see that it must be terribly difficult to find concrete evidence of the early settlement of the island -- evidence of culture, religion, leadership, political life, etc. Other than the huge statues, very little remains from those early days. Oral tradition is mostly related to the Birdman era.
So, I appreciate that the author had to make comparisons with similar Polynesian islands and peoples in trying to find validity for the various theories of life in the "old days". She did a good job, but I think I learned more about the rest of Polynesia than I did about Rapa Nui! I would have loved to read some oral history interviews, but I know they were hard to come by. All in all, this is a very good academic look at what anthropologists believe to be the history and cultural development of the island.
By the way, there is a very nice little natural history and history museum close to town. It's worth spending a little time there.
Displaying 1 of 1 review