Easter Island

Chilean island in the south Pacific Ocean, part of the Polynesian group, about 3,500 km/2,200 mi west of Chile; area about 166 sq km/64 sq mi; population (1998 est) 2,000. The island consists of three extinct volcanoes, reaching a maximum altitude of 538 m/1,765 ft. It was first reached by Europeans on Easter Sunday 1722. On it stand over 800 huge carved statues (moai) and the remains of boat-shaped stone houses, the work of Neolithic peoples from Polynesia. The chief centre is Hanga-Roa.

In 1996, following seven years of work, a New Zealand linguist, Dr Steven Fischer, deciphered a script discovered on the island. This script showed the inhabitants were the first in Oceania to write. According to Dr Fischer, the script, known as ‘rongorongo’, was made up of chants in Rapanui, the island's Polynesian tongue, and told the story of creation.

The carved statues are believed to have been religious icons. However, archaeological evidence suggests that, prior to European contact, the island suffered an environmental or cultural crisis resulting in the inhabitants renouncing their earlier religious values, which caused them to damage or overturn many of the statues.