Easter Island

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A groundbreaking study suggests that the ancient Rongorongo script of Easter Island could be independently developed and predates the arrival of Europeans on the island.

About Easter Island

• It is a Chilean dependency in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
• It is the easternmost outpost of the Polynesian island world.
• Named Rapa Nui by its earliest residents, it is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world. 
• It was discovered by Europeans on Easter Sunday (1722) by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen. Hence the name “Easter Island”.
• In between Roggeveen’s arrival and its annexation to Chile, the Rapanui population declined drastically due to their enslavement on the South American mainland by the Peruvians and from the smallpox and tuberculosis epidemics on the island.  
• Covering a total area of 163.6 sq.km, it is situated about 3,540 km to the west of Chile and about 1,900 km to the east of Pitcairn Island.
• It is a small, triangular-shaped volcanic island.
• It faces a tropical rainforest climate.
• The island comprises three extinct volcanoes, namely Terevaka, Poike, and Rano Kau.  
• The island has no permanent rivers but contains three crater lakes, namely Rano Aroi, Rano Raraku, and Rano Kau. 
• It is known for its iconic Moai statues, carved by the indigenous Rapa Nui people.
• UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage Site on March 22, 1996, and major parts of the island have been protected under the Rapa Nui National Park.

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What are Moai Statues?

• Rapa Nui is famous for its large statues called moai.
• They are shaped like large human heads and erected on stone pedestals.
• They are famous for their carved heads and “Pukao,” a hat-like covering made from a soft red stone.
• Some moai stand 40 feet tall and weigh 75 tonnes.
• They were carved in volcanic stone at quarries and then moved to their current locations across the island.
• Scholars believe the Rapa Nui people built the moai between the 13th and the 16th centuries and represented their revered ancestors.
• Over 900 moai have been found on the island to date.

What is Rongorongo?

• Rongorongo is a writing system that comprises carved symbols, known as glyphs, on wooden tablets and artefacts discovered in Easter Island.
• Rongorongo differs from other scripts in that it has not yet been deciphered. 
• Rongorongo was noted for the first time in 1864 when it was observed by Europeans.
• Rongorongo looks very different from the European writing systems. This has led some experts to believe it may have developed locally by the inhabitants.

Source: TOI