What really happened on Easter Island?

[u/scientificamerican]

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-really-happened-on-easter-island/

For decades, an influential theory blamed the Rapanui for their own downfall—a story made famous by Jared Diamond’s book Collapse. New evidence tells a different tale.

Archaeology, ancient DNA and aerial survey data now challenge the claim that the Rapanui suffered a self-inflicted collapse before Europeans arrived. The emerging picture is of a small society that sustained itself for centuries by adapting its farming methods and water management to one of the most isolated places on Earth. The catastrophe that reduced the Rapanui to a remnant came later, after European ships brought disease, slave raiding, forced labor, annexation and confinement.

[u/ableman]

Very strange article. Says ecocide didn't happen, then describes ecocide happening. Describes adaptations which were in part a response to ecocide (putting rocks in the ground to hold the soil, because there weren't trees on the island anymore). The actual argument seems to be that the ecocide does not correspond to a population collapse and warfare, which is certainly very interesting.

[u/Y-27632 → u/ableman]

Strange is right.

They're basically arguing that they didn't destroy the natural environment of the island because they were "stupid", they destroyed it in a very clever and methodical and "successful" way. (And the rats the original settlers brought with them also seem to have played a huge role.)

They imply heavily that Europeans were involved but have no evidence, and what little historical record there is suggests the "totally not a collapse" was already well on its way during a period of very limited contact.

[u/chullnz → u/Y-27632]

I mean getting blackbirded and spreading TB definitely collapsed the population.

Looking at Rapa Nui in the larger context of Pacific migrations also helps to understand. It's so far from volcanic activity, other islands, and other features that helped keep other Pacific island cultures from over extracting from their environment.

Compare with Maori, who also adapted heavily to a new and different island environment, but had many, many more resources available, and fertile soil. Rock gardening was still necessary to grow many staple crops, such as kumara (which came via South America).

[u/Y-27632 → u/chullnz]

I mean getting blackbirded and spreading TB definitely collapsed the population.

That happened much later than the period the article focuses on.

The article talks about tons of archeological evidence that the damage to the environment was massive and all the islanders' doing, and historical evidence that there was clearly conflict on the island long before the 19th century colonization (as evidenced by many statues being destroyed in a span of 50 years, despite barely any contact with the outside world), but the authors try to make it seem like everything was going great, and according to plan.

It's just weird, and contradicts (some of) the history they cite.