In truth, not much at all is known about Easter Island. So, that begs the question: Why is everyone so obsessed with this mysterious island? Perhaps, it's the actual mystery that continuously pulls people into its history (or lack thereof). On the other hand, it could be the few bits and scraps of evidence pulled from the island that continues to keep the mystery alive. Whatever it might be, there's no denying that the subject of this island - and its strange head statues - will never go out of style.

Here's why the world is still so interested in this somewhat creepy, unusual destination.

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What Is Known About Easter Island?

One solid fact about Easter Island is its namesake. With such an unusual name, it's to be expected that many would question why this piece of land was named after a holiday. As it turns out, Easter Island was discovered on Easter by Jacob Roggeveen, who was a Dutch Admiral at the time. The island was discovered back in 1722, and prior to its modern name, it was called Isla de Pascua and Rapa Nui (a name it still often goes by today).

The Famed Easter Island Statues

One thing that everyone is familiar with when it comes to Easter Island is its famed statues. These are unusually shaped like human heads and while they seem like a complete mystery, there are some things that we do know about them, according to HowStuffWorksroughly 82 tons. The statues are called moai and the island was once home to hundreds of them. They existed on the shores of the island as well as its teetering on its cliffs, making for a unique and somewhat intimidating scene. Crafted from volcanic ash, these moai would have been an absolutely massive sight, each weighing and reaching a towering height of just over 32 feet.

It's believed, according to Nova, that they were created between 1400 and 1600 AD. It's believed that these statues were representative of the spiritual figures and high chieftains that held importance to the indigenous peoples of Easter Island. In total, there were almost 900 statues at once time. Those that stand there today have since been restored thanks to ongoing efforts to preserve the strange history of the island. While the exact purpose of the moai is still very much a mystery, the means by how they were moved has since been (allegedly) figured out. It's believed that the moai statues were moved via wooden logs or on sleds that were pulled along until they reached the proper destination. Another theory is that they were rocked from side to side as they were pulled forward, which would also be plausible with their massive size.

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The Inhabitation Of Easter Island

According to Irish Times, native Polynesian inhabitants settled the South Pacific island in 1200. It seemed that the settlement was successful, as the moai were able to create these statues, establish customs and traditions, and survive for centuries before their eventual decline in 1877. Prior to that point, the population of the Polynesian inhabitants on Easter Island held steady above 1,000, with the highest population ever known on the island being somewhere around 4,000. Another clue that experts have is the fact that the island was once abundant with palm trees - all of which, it's believed, were chopped down in order to move the ancient moai around. By cutting down all of the palm trees, it made it very difficult to bring the population back as the seeds become the perfect food for the native rat population.

Anyone familiar with the importance of trees also knows that without them, ecosystems don't often survive long after they're gone. It's surmised that this is also what happened on Easter Island. Other plants were soon to follow suit in disappearing, the local wildlife had no shelter or food, and without wood for building, there were no ways to build shelter or tools. This eventual decline of the ecosystem led to the decline in population, as well.

Visiting Easter Island

Today, visiting Easter Island is akin to visiting a place as remote as the Pitcairn Islands. While it is still inhabited, it's the remotest island in the Atlantic Ocean which means that a trip there means some serious planning. Travelers can fly into LATAM, which is a Chilean airline that can be found in Santiago. The trip from the U.S. takes at least 11 hours, give or take a few depending on how far north one is flying from.

  • Visa: Those who plan on staying less than 90 days can visit the Easter Islands without obtaining a visa.

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