Variation in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) land use indicates production and population peaks prior to European contact.

Commentary: Rain, Sun, Soil, and Sweat: A Consideration of Population Limits on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) before European Contact

Revisiting Rapa Nui ( Easter Island ) ‘ ‘ Ecocide ’ ’ 1 Terry

Easter Island (Rapa Nui) has become widely known as a case of ‘‘ecocide,’’ where the ancient Polynesians recklessly destroyed their environment and, as a consequence, suffered collapse. In recent publications, both popular and academic, scholars have promoted this perspective, drawing upon archaeological evidence and offering Rapa Nui as a parable for our current global crisis. In this paper we...

Cancer prevalence in Easter Island population - 2006-2010.

In Easter Island, population is composed by original habitants, the Rapa Nui culture and introduced people, mainly from continental Chile, who have a different ethnic origin. The aim of this research was to describe cancer frequency in resident population in Easter Island, and secondarily compare the findings with other islands of Polynesia and continental Chile. We reviewed the statistics of p...

Rain, Sun, Soil, and Sweat: A Consideration of Population Limits on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) before European Contact

1 Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States, 2 Anthropology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, 3 Fundación Mata Ki Te Rangi, Rapa Nui, Chile, 4 Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States, 5 Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States, 6 Anthrop...

Human Genetics: Pre-Columbian Pacific Contact

Large-scale genetic analysis of the native inhabitants of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) reveals the expected combination of Polynesian ancestry with later European admixture, but also a contribution from Native Americans dating to 1280-1495 AD, demonstrating early trans-Pacific contact.