The world's most impressive seafarers and statue builders were reduced from a thriving community of many thousands to just 111 traumatised survivors. These Rapa Nui people were the victims of their harsh environment, disease, enslavement and gun toting Europeans, Americans and Peruvians. All this after they had already turned against their gods, toppling many of the famous Moai head statues.

MAIN SOURCES/FURTHER READING

T. Hunt & C. Lipo - The Statues that Walked: Unraveling the Mystery of Easter Island

D. Porteous – The Modernization of Easter Island

T. Heyerdahl – Aku Aku

M. Levison et al – The Settlement of Polynesia

J. Diamond - Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

A. Mieth & H-R. Bork - Humans, climate or introduced rats – which is to blame for the woodland destruction on prehistoric Rapa Nui. http://www.marklynas.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Mieth-Bork_JAS_Rats-Humans.pdf

P. Bahn & J. Flenley – Easter Island: Earth Island