Easter Island
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What Really Happened on Easter Island? Ancient Sediments Rewrite the “Ecocide” Story
A new study challenges long-held narratives of societal “collapse,” instead showing that Rapanui communities adapted to profound climate stress with resilience and innovation.
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Study Challenges Popular Idea That Easter Islanders Committed ‘Ecocide’
A popular trope says settlers overtaxed an isolated Pacific island, wrecked the environment and suffered a population collapse. A new study claims the opposite.
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Digging Into Easter Island’s Climate History
Sediments deposited over thousands of years provide a window to the past—and may perhaps shed light on what happened to the island’s now-lost civilization.
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How Can Changing Climate Affect a Civilization?
Billy D’Andrea is trying to understand Easter Island’s climate history over the last few thousand years and how communities dealt with past climate change.
On Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 10am to 4pm, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House—our biggest, best science fun and discovery event of the year—will take place on our beautiful campus in Palisades, NY. Mark your calendar and join us for this free, family-friendly celebration of science! RSVP Today!
