Architecturally Modified Caves on Rapa Nui: Post-European Contact Ritual Spaces?

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Stevenson ◽  
Caitlin Williams ◽  
Everett Carpenter ◽  
Caitlin S. Hunt ◽  
Steven W. Novak
Keyword(s):  
Rapa Nui ◽  
European Contact ◽  
Ritual Spaces

Architecturally Modified Caves on Rapa Nui: Post-European Contact Ritual Spaces?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Stevenson ◽  
Caitlin Williams ◽  
Everett Carpenter ◽  
Caitlin Hunt ◽  
Steven Novak
Keyword(s):  
Rapa Nui ◽  
European Contact ◽  
Ritual Spaces

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

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cedric O. Puleston ◽  
Thegn N. Ladefoged ◽  
Sonia Haoa ◽  
Oliver A. Chadwick ◽  
Peter M. Vitousek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Easter Island ◽  
Rapa Nui ◽  
European Contact

scholarly journals Drought, freshwater availability and cultural resilience on Easter Island (SE Pacific) during the Little Ice Age

The Holocene ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 774-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentí Rull
Keyword(s):  
Little Ice Age ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Easter Island ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Cultural Resilience ◽  
Rapa Nui ◽  
European Contact ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Critical Resource

After decades of human-deterministic explanations for the collapse of the ancient Rapanui culture that inhabited Easter Island (Rapa Nui) before European contact (1722 CE), paleoecological studies developed over the last decade have provided sound evidence of climate changes and their potential socioecological impacts. Especially significant is the occurrence of a century-scale drought (1570–1720 CE) during the Little Ice Age (LIA). Freshwater is a critical resource on Easter Island that heavily depends on rain, which maintains the only three permanent surficial freshwater sources on the island: two lakes (Rano Kao and Rano Raraku) and a marsh (Rano Aroi). Under these conditions, the LIA drought could have significantly affected human life; however, the Rapanui society remained healthy, showing remarkable resilience. There are two main hypotheses on how the ancient Rapanui could have obtained freshwater to guarantee their continuity. One of these hypotheses proposes that Lake Kao was a permanent source of freshwater, even during the LIA drought, which led to some intraisland cultural and population reorganizations. The coastal groundwater hypothesis dismisses the use of lakes and other surficial freshwater sources to maintain the water-stressed Rapanui population and contends that the only routine freshwater sources during the LIA drought were the abundant and widespread coastal seeps fed by fresh/brackish groundwater. The pros and cons of these two hypotheses are discussed on the basis of the available archeological and paleoecological evidence, and it is concluded that given the present state of knowledge, neither can be rejected. Therefore, these two proposals could be complementary rather than mutually exclusive.

scholarly journals Drought, freshwater availability and cultural resilience on Easter Island (SE Pacific) during the Little Ice Age

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valenti Rull
Keyword(s):  
Little Ice Age ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Easter Island ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Cultural Resilience ◽  
Rapa Nui ◽  
Cultural Center ◽  
European Contact ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Critical Resource

After decades of human-deterministic explanations for the collapse of the ancient Rapanui culture that inhabited Easter Island (Rapa Nui) before European contact (1722 CE), paleoecological studies developed over the last decade have provided sound evidence of climate changes and their potential socioecological impacts. Especially significant is the occurrence of a century-scale (1570-1720 CE) drought occurred during the Little Ice Age. Freshwater is a critical resource on Easter Island that heavily depends on rain, which maintains the only three permanent surficial freshwater sources on the island: two lakes (Rano Kao and Rano Raraku) and a marsh (Rano Aroi). Under these conditions, the LIA drought could have significantly affected human life; however, the Rapanui society remained healthy, showing remarkable resilience. There are two main hypotheses on how the ancient Rapanui could have obtained freshwater to guarantee its continuity. The intra-island migration hypothesis proposes that Rano Raraku, the cultural center of this culture, dried out and the Rapanui were forced to migrate to Rano Kao, which was likely the only surficial freshwater source during the LIA drought. This shift was accompanied by a profound cultural reorganization. The coastal groundwater hypothesis dismisses the use of lakes and other surficial freshwater sources to maintain the water-stressed Rapanui population and contends that the only routine freshwater sources during the LIA drought were the abundant and widespread coastal seeps fed by fresh/brackish groundwater. The pros and cons of these two hypotheses are discussed on the basis of the available archeological and paleoecological evidence, and it is concluded that in the present state of knowledge, neither can be rejected. Therefore, these two proposals could be complementary, rather than mutually exclusive.

scholarly journals Climate change, deforestation patterns, freshwater availability and cultural shifts on prehistoric Easter Island (SE Pacific)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valenti Rull
Keyword(s):  
Easter Island ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Cultural Resilience ◽  
Rapa Nui ◽  
Cultural Shift ◽  
Cultural Center ◽  
European Contact ◽  
Landscape Degradation ◽  
Human Adaptability ◽  
Cultural Shifts

The remote and isolated Easter Island (Rapa Nui) has been the arena for classic debates on the potential consequences of human overexploitation of natural resources as a microcosmic model for the whole planet. Human-deterministic hypotheses have traditionally been preferred to proposals involving climate changes as drivers of socioecological shifts, especially in relation to the collapse of the ancient Rapanui civilization inhabiting the island before European contact (1722 CE). However, recent paleoecological studies have provided evidence for past climatic shifts, especially droughts, which have stimulated a paradigm shift from deterministic and exclusive views to a more holistic framework that considers both natural and anthropogenic factors as well as their feedbacks and synergies. This paper reviews the latest climatic, ecological and cultural reconstructions of precontact times and evaluates the potential impact of the different drivers on socioecological shifts. Especially noteworthy is the occurrence of some droughts in the last millennium that, coupled with human deforestation, severely affected the access of the prehistoric Rapanui civilization to freshwater but did not compromise the continuity of this ancient culture. Two main hypotheses have been proposed for how the Rapanui bypassed freshwater scarcity. According to the intraisland migration hypothesis, the latest drought recorded (1570-1720 CE) would have led to the abandonment of the former cultural center of the ancient Rapanui civilization (Lake Raraku) to move to Lake Kao, which became the new cultural core. This would have been linked to a profound cultural shift from the moai cult to the Birdman cult. In contrast, the coastal groundwater hypothesis proposes that coastal seeps were the main freshwater source during climatic droughts. These hypotheses are evaluated using the available archaeological and paleoecological evidence, and it is concluded that neither can be rejected; therefore, they could be complementary, rather than exclusive. The continuity of the Rapanui civilization in spite of landscape degradation is a good example of cultural resilience that challenges earlier deterministic explanations and emphasizes human adaptability to changing environments.

scholarly journals Climate change, deforestation patterns, freshwater availability and cultural shifts on prehistoric Easter Island (SE Pacific)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valenti Rull
Keyword(s):  
Easter Island ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Cultural Resilience ◽  
Rapa Nui ◽  
Cultural Shift ◽  
Cultural Center ◽  
European Contact ◽  
Landscape Degradation ◽  
Human Adaptability ◽  
Cultural Shifts

The remote and isolated Easter Island (Rapa Nui) has been the arena for classic debates on the potential consequences of human overexploitation of natural resources as a microcosmic model for the whole planet. Human-deterministic hypotheses have traditionally been preferred to proposals involving climate changes as drivers of socioecological shifts, especially in relation to the collapse of the ancient Rapanui civilization inhabiting the island before European contact (1722 CE). However, recent paleoecological studies have provided evidence for past climatic shifts, especially droughts, which have stimulated a paradigm shift from deterministic and exclusive views to a more holistic framework that considers both natural and anthropogenic factors as well as their feedbacks and synergies. This paper reviews the latest climatic, ecological and cultural reconstructions of precontact times and evaluates the potential impact of the different drivers on socioecological shifts. Especially noteworthy is the occurrence of some droughts in the last millennium that, coupled with human deforestation, severely affected the access of the prehistoric Rapanui civilization to freshwater but did not compromise the continuity of this ancient culture. Two main hypotheses have been proposed for how the Rapanui bypassed freshwater scarcity. According to the intraisland migration hypothesis, the latest drought recorded (1570-1720 CE) would have led to the abandonment of the former cultural center of the ancient Rapanui civilization (Lake Raraku) to move to Lake Kao, which became the new cultural core. This would have been linked to a profound cultural shift from the moai cult to the Birdman cult. In contrast, the coastal groundwater hypothesis proposes that coastal seeps were the main freshwater source during climatic droughts. These hypotheses are evaluated using the available archaeological and paleoecological evidence, and it is concluded that neither can be rejected; therefore, they could be complementary, rather than exclusive. The continuity of the Rapanui civilization in spite of landscape degradation is a good example of cultural resilience that challenges earlier deterministic explanations and emphasizes human adaptability to changing environments.

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

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cedric O. Puleston ◽  
Thegn N. Ladefoged ◽  
Sonia Haoa ◽  
Oliver A. Chadwick ◽  
Peter M. Vitousek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Easter Island ◽  
Rapa Nui ◽  
European Contact

scholarly journals Drought, freshwater availability and cultural resilience on Easter Island (SE Pacific) during the Little Ice Age

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valenti Rull
Keyword(s):  
Little Ice Age ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Easter Island ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Cultural Resilience ◽  
Rapa Nui ◽  
Cultural Center ◽  
European Contact ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Critical Resource

After decades of human-deterministic explanations for the collapse of the ancient Rapanui culture that inhabited Easter Island (Rapa Nui) before European contact (1722 CE), paleoecological studies developed over the last decade have provided sound evidence of climate changes and their potential socioecological impacts. Especially significant is the occurrence of a century-scale (1570-1720 CE) drought occurred during the Little Ice Age. Freshwater is a critical resource on Easter Island that heavily depends on rain, which maintains the only three permanent surficial freshwater sources on the island: two lakes (Rano Kao and Rano Raraku) and a marsh (Rano Aroi). Under these conditions, the LIA drought could have significantly affected human life; however, the Rapanui society remained healthy, showing remarkable resilience. There are two main hypotheses on how the ancient Rapanui could have obtained freshwater to guarantee its continuity. The intra-island migration hypothesis proposes that Rano Raraku, the cultural center of this culture, dried out and the Rapanui were forced to migrate to Rano Kao, which was likely the only surficial freshwater source during the LIA drought. This shift was accompanied by a profound cultural reorganization. The coastal groundwater hypothesis dismisses the use of lakes and other surficial freshwater sources to maintain the water-stressed Rapanui population and contends that the only routine freshwater sources during the LIA drought were the abundant and widespread coastal seeps fed by fresh/brackish groundwater. The pros and cons of these two hypotheses are discussed on the basis of the available archeological and paleoecological evidence, and it is concluded that in the present state of knowledge, neither can be rejected. Therefore, these two proposals could be complementary, rather than mutually exclusive.

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

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Lipo ◽  
Robert J. DiNapoli ◽  
Terry L. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Easter Island ◽  
Rapa Nui ◽  
European Contact

A commentary on a response on a commentary on Puleston et. al (2017) Rain, Sun, Soil, and Sweat: A Consideration of Population Limits on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) before European Contact

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