For years, researchers have debated the fate of Easter Island’s population. Theories suggested a dramatic decline due to deforestation, overexploitation of resources, and warfare in the 1600s, long before European arrival in the 1700s. However, a groundbreaking study published in the journal Nature throws a wrench into this narrative, suggesting that the island’s population never experienced a catastrophic collapse.
Researchers analyzed the genomes of 15 individuals from Easter Island, whose remains were taken to a French museum during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The study revealed that there was no evidence of a genetic bottleneck, a hallmark of a population crash, in the 17th century. Instead, the DNA data showed a gradual increase in the island’s population until the 1860s. It was during this period that Peruvian slave raids devastated the island, leading to a drastic population decrease by one-third.
The research suggests that the island’s population never exceeded 3,000 individuals, a number close to the estimations of the first European colonizers and far less than the previously proposed figure of 15,000 inhabitants. This finding throws a significant challenge to the long-standing hypothesis of a self-inflicted population collapse.
This isn’t the first study to refute the population collapse theory. Earlier research using satellite imagery and machine learning analysis of rock gardens on the island also suggested that the environment could only have supported a smaller population. Furthermore, the study confirmed previous findings indicating a mixing of Polynesian and Native American DNA in the island’s population. This genetic mixing likely occurred between 1250 and 1430, suggesting possible interactions between Polynesians and the Americas.
While the study points to potential trans-Pacific travel, it doesn’t definitively prove the direction of migration. It remains unclear whether the Rapanui traveled to the Americas or if Native Americans journeyed to Easter Island.
The new research presents a compelling case for a different understanding of Easter Island’s population history. However, some researchers remain skeptical, highlighting the need for further research and archaeological evidence to fully validate the findings. This study serves as a reminder that the mysteries of the past are complex and require ongoing investigation to unravel.
