Easter Island Research Paper

Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
Presenter Name: Wong Chun Wang

Site Date: ~ AD 1200 to 1700

Site description:
It is a volcanic island in Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, with an area of 163.6 km2 (63.2 sq mi).
There are around 1000 massive statue called moai located around the Island.
Roads or paths are extended from quarry at Rano Raraku, a crater with volcanic ash.
Vinapu, Hanga Ho’onu, Anakena and Rano Raraku are the sites that showed colonisation, culture or civilisation.
UNESCO regarded Easter Island as a World Heritage Site in 1995 and much part of the island is in Rapa Nui National Park under protection.

Associated culture(s):
Agriculture: large palms may be intentionally cultivated / domesticated for nutshells and wood, which can be used as building
William Mulloy investigated Vinapu with Thor Heyerdahl, Arne Skjølsvold, Carlyle S. Smith, Edwin N. Ferdon, Jr. and Gonzalo Figueroa García-Huidobro in 1955-96, estimating that civilisation was present during AD 550-1300.
Volume I of The Archaeology of Easter Island (1961) was published, reporting their results of investigations.
The development of Easter Island is generally divided into 3 phases in early archaeologists, where initial settlement started in around AD 300 and decline started in around AD 1680.
Some archaeologists believed that there were demographic collapse, political failure and sociopolitical change that lead to the collapse of society.
Some archaeologists focused on ahu as well as moai and proposed different solutions in creating and transporting them, such as vertical transport and horizontal transport with the use of rolls or lever systems. Current state of presentation / debate:
Restoring and reconstructing of ahu as well as re-erecting of fallen moai and replacing headdresses were done (anastylosis).
Visitors are allowed to visit Rapa Nui National Park, but a periodic, comprehensive and sustainable monitoring system is required for effective