The Survival of Easter Island : Dwindling Resources and Cultural Resilience

"In this book, Jan J. Boersema reconstructs the ecological and cultural history of Easter Island and critiques the hitherto accepted theory of the collapse of its civilization. The collapse theory, advanced most recently by Jared Diamond and Clive Ponting, is based on the documented overexploitation of natural resources, particularly woodlands, on which Easter Island culture depended. Deforestation is said to have led to erosion, followed by hunger, conflict, and economic and cultural collapse. Drawing on scientific data and historical sources, including the shipping journals of the Dutch merchant who was the first European to visit the island in 1722, Boersema shows that deforestation did not in fact jeopardize food production and lead to starvation and violence. On the basis of historical and scientific evidence, Boersema demonstrates how Easter Island society responded to cultural and environmental change as it evolved and managed to survive"-- Provided by publisher Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title page......Page 5 Copyright information......Page 6 Epigraph......Page 7 Table of contents......Page 9 Timeline......Page 11 Acknowledgments......Page 17 A Green History......Page 19 The Dutch......Page 26 The Spanish......Page 30 The English......Page 32 The French......Page 33 Thor Heyerdahl......Page 36 Isotopes and Genes......Page 37 Hotu Matu’a......Page 39 Polynesians at Sea......Page 41 The Sweet Potato......Page 42 Three Inactive Volcanoes......Page 46 No Neighbours, Friendly or Otherwise......Page 49 Trees and Forest......Page 50 Other Vegetation......Page 53 Sea Animals......Page 56 Land Animals......Page 58 Essential Baggage......Page 61 Three Sources......Page 63 Seven Phases......Page 64 Hearth and Home......Page 65 Fields and Gardens......Page 70 Meat, Fish and Eggs......Page 73 Language and Signs......Page 75 Appearance and Behaviour......Page 79 Chiefs and Commoners......Page 86 Religion, Culture and Society......Page 94 Makemake, the Creator God......Page 95 Moai, the Stone Statues......Page 100 The Statue Cult......Page 107 The Tangata Manu and the Birdman Cult......Page 113 The Beginning of Awareness......Page 120 Easter Island = Earth Island......Page 121 Hard Facts?......Page 125 Population......Page 127 Carrying Capacity......Page 133 Chopped Down or Gnawed Away?......Page 137 Uninvited Guests......Page 140 Different Goals......Page 141 Effects......Page 147 Little of Good......Page 148 Peruvian Raids......Page 154 Between Hope and Fear......Page 157 The Return Journey......Page 159 The True Collapse......Page 160 Immigrants......Page 163 The First Missionary......Page 164 The Second Mission......Page 167 Sheep Breeder, Adventurer and King......Page 169 Isla de Pascua, Chile......Page 172 Anthropologists......Page 174 Wilhelm Geiseler......Page 175 William Thomson......Page 177 Katherine Routledge......Page 179 Alfred Métraux......Page 183 Thor Heyerdahl and Bill Mulloy......Page 185 Mataveri Airport......Page 190 Chapter 9 The Earth and Easter Island: Doom and Destiny......Page 192 Earlier Doubts......Page 193 Dating Techniques and Rats......Page 195 An Alternative Interpretation......Page 197 The Power of a Word......Page 201 No Toothbrush......Page 202 Bury the Notion?......Page 203 Impoverished State......Page 205 Complex Societies......Page 207 Easter Island Today......Page 210 The Future......Page 215 Glossary......Page 219 1 Easter Island as an Icon......Page 223 2 From the East or the West?......Page 224 3 The Green Past......Page 229 4 Culture Appears, Nature Disappears......Page 234 5 Makemake, Moai and the Tangata Manu......Page 243 6 Resilience and Sustainability......Page 248 7 Foreigners......Page 254 8 Christianization, Sheep Breeding and Research......Page 257 9 The Earth and Easter Island: Doom and Destiny......Page 261 General Accounts......Page 267 Expedition of Jacob Roggeveen 1721–1722......Page 268 Expedition of Captain James Cook 1774......Page 270 Nineteenth Century Accounts......Page 271 References......Page 273 Index......Page 305 Cover; Half-title; Title page; Copyright information; Epigraph; Table of contents; Timeline; Acknowledgments; Chapter 1 Easter Island as an Icon; A Green History; Chapter 2 From the East or the West?; The Dutch; The Spanish; The English; The French; Thor Heyerdahl; Isotopes and Genes; Hotu Matu'a; Polynesians at Sea; The Sweet Potato; Chapter 3 The Green Past; Three Inactive Volcanoes; No Neighbours, Friendly or Otherwise; Trees and Forest; Other Vegetation; Sea Animals; Land Animals; Essential Baggage; Chapter 4 Culture Appears, Nature Disappears; Three Sources; Seven Phases; Hearth and Home In this book, Jan J. Boersema reconstructs the ecological and cultural history of Easter Island and critiques the hitherto accepted theory of its collapse. Drawing on historical and scientific evidence, Boersema demonstrates how Easter Island society responded to cultural and environmental change and how it was able to survive.