, Columnist
Easter Island Collapse Gets the Fresh Look It Deserves
How we interpret that lost civilization has changed over time. New information suggests resilience in the face of adversity.
A kind of Rorschach test
Photographer: Martin Bernetti/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
There are good reasons the story of Easter Island is often held up as a parable for planet Earth and humanity’s future. The tiny island was, for centuries, as isolated in the vast Pacific Ocean as is our little blue dot in the vastness of space. And the people who lived there are legendary for scaling the heights of creativity and descending the depths of destruction.
But the story of the island, which is also called Rapa Nui, has changed with time — especially the part about destruction — as new archaeological evidence has come to light.