A recent scientific study challenges the widely accepted theory of the collapse of civilization in South America, suggesting that its population may have been much more stable and less affected excessive use of resources than previously thought. This new evidence also reveals that there was contact with Native Americans long before that the arrival of Christopher Columbus.
Known for its impressive sculptures, the island has been the subject of narratives that claim the civilization experienced a demographic and cultural collapse in the 17th century due to deforestation and overexploitation of its resources. However, the latest research challenges this view, offering data that contradicts the idea of ”ecocide” and formulates a different story for this mysterious society.
The so-called ‘discovery of America’ led by Christopher Columbus took place on October 12, 1492. Photo: Museo del Prado
What civilization arrived in the Americas 200 years before Christopher Columbus?
According to a study published in Nature, the Rapanui civilization would have arrived in America 200 years before Christopher Columbus. In addition, it sheds new perspectives on the population Easter Island. Using a statistical tool HapNe-LDscientists analyzed the genomes of 15 individuals who lived between 1670 and 1950. The goal of this analysis was to reveal signs demographic collapse through the genetic structure of the population.
The results of the study were surprising. Bárbara Sousa da Mota, lead author of the study and researcher at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine University of Lausanneexplains that “our genetic analysis shows that the population grew steadily from the 13th century until contact with Europeans in the 18th century.”
This finding contradicts the theory of a dramatic collapse before the arrival of Europeans, which proposes that the population of the island maintained stability for most of its history.
How do “rock gardens” affect the collapse theory?
At the same time, another study published in Science Advances provided crucial data on agricultural capacity Easter Island. This study focused on “stone gardens”, agricultural machinery used rapanui enrich the soil and conserve moisture. Using shortwave infrared (SWIR) satellite imagery and machine learning models, the researchers re-estimated the extent of these agricultural areas.
The results showed that the stone gardens covered only 0.76 km², instead of the previously estimated 4.3 to 21.1 km². This reassessment allows us to adjust the maximum population size that the island could support, suggesting that the Rapanui population would never have exceeded 4,000 people instead of the previously estimated 17,000. This means that the available resources were sufficient for a smaller population than assumed.
Manavai are stone gardens where the ancient inhabitants of Rapa Nui grew vegetables and fruits for their own consumption. Photo: photomoai.com
What evidence is there for contact between Rapanui and Native Americans?
The Nature study also revealed information about contact between the Rapanui and Native Americans before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. The researchers found evidence of interactions between these populations, reinforcing the idea that the connection between the Pacific Islands and the Americas occurred much earlier than previously documented.
What implications do these studies have for resource management?
The findings of these studies suggest that the Rapanui civilization may have managed their resources more efficiently than previously thought. Dylan Davis, co-author of the study in Science Advances, states that “the Rapanui managed to survive in one of the most isolated places on the planet and did so quite sustainably until contact with Europeans.” This suggests that rather than a catastrophic ecological collapse, the population may have maintained a sustainable balance with its environment.
