Why were the trees felled on Easter Island?

Scientists have proven that the island was covered by forests until the 17th century. It’s believed the trees were cut down by the ancestors of today’s Easter Islanders in order to transport the giant stone statues – the Moai – as well as to build canoes, houses and fires to burn the dead.

What happened when the forests disappeared on Easter Island?

Soon land birds went extinct and migratory bird numbers were severely reduced, thus spelling an end for Easter Island’s forests. Already under intense pressure by the human population for firewood and building material, the forests lost their animal pollinators and seed dispersers with the disappearance of the birds.

Was there cannibalism on Easter Island?

Surprisingly few of the human remains from the island show actual evidence of injury, just 2.5 percent, and most of those showed evidence of healing, meaning that attacks were not fatal. Crucially, there is no evidence, beyond historical word-of-mouth, of cannibalism.

Why did the creation of the moai cause trees to be cut down?

One theory posits that the early Polynesians who settled on the island, also known as Rapa Nui, cut down trees for logs to roll the statues from their quarries to their overlook positions. Competition among clans led to ever bigger moai and, ultimately, to the destruction of the forest.

How do you say hello in Easter Island?

Basics[edit] Hello. Pe hē ‘Iorana. ‘Iorana.

Is Easter Island safe to visit?

According to the U.S. State Department, crime rates throughout Chile are fairly low. Most visitors to Easter Island travel through the capital city of Santiago which, like any big city, has a higher crime rate. Crime on Easter Island is infrequent, but it is always wise to keep an eye on your money.

Did everyone die Easter Island?

A series of devastating events killed almost the entire population of Easter Island. Jared Diamond suggested that Easter Island’s society so destroyed their environment that, by around 1600, their society fell into a downward spiral of warfare, cannibalism, and population decline.

Does anybody live on Easter Island now?

Today, the people living on Easter Island are largely descendants of the ancient Rapa Nui (about 60%) and run the bulk of the tourism and conservation efforts on the island. Many locals living on Easter Island have livelihoods that involve the water—which makes sense!

Who owns Easter Island today?

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. It was annexed by Chile in the late 19th century and now maintains an economy based largely on tourism.

Are there any Rapa Nui left?

The Rapa Nui are the indigenous Polynesian people of Easter Island. At the 2017 census there were 7,750 island inhabitants—almost all living in the village of Hanga Roa on the sheltered west coast. As of 2011, Rapa Nui’s main source of income derived from tourism, which focuses on the giant sculptures called moai.

How did humans get to Easter Island?

Linguists estimate Easter Island’s first inhabitants arrived around AD 400, and most agree that they came from East Polynesia. These linguistic links point to a genealogical bond that ties the people of the Pacific to one another. Indeed, in 1994, DNA from 12 Easter Island skeletons was found to be Polynesian.

Did Easter Island ever have trees?

Easter Island was covered with palm trees for over 30,000 years, but is treeless today. There is good evidence that the trees largely disappeared between 1200 and 1650. For example, deforestation took place on the Hawaiian island of Oahu between 900 and 1100, but there is no evidence of human presence there until 1250.

Why hasnt Easter Island been reforested?

Today, Easter Island nature has changed and it’s harder for plants to grow. The lack of trees causes a more windy climate, as there are no trees left to block the winds. Trees and plants from ancient times had the feature of binding certain minerals to the ground, which Easter Island now is lacking.

Where did the rats come from and why did they have such a negative effect on the palm tree?

The number of palm trees decreases because of the increased number of rats that eats its fruits. Seed germination became frequently interfered because of this activity. However, the slow growth of palm trees was also blamed for the tree cutting off the people.