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Human settlement of Easter Island – a competing hypothesis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2007

Anthony Cole  and
John Flenley
Anthony Cole
Affiliation:
Pansophy Limited, Private Bag 1409 and Landcare Research Ltd, Private Bag 11052, Palmerston North, New Zealand
John Flenley
Affiliation:
School of People, Environment and Planning, Private Bag 11222, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Abstract

This paper draws on epistemology, theory, published data, hypothesis testing and synthesis to explore the predictive and explanatory power of a far-from-equilibrium interpretation of the history of human settlement on Rapa Nui. Our interpretation of the last 1500 years of human settlement on Rapa Nui provides an important competing hypothesis by which to test the explanatory power of earlier equilibrium interpretations of this history. Our evaluation of this competing hypothesis suggests that it provides, overall, a more satisfactory theory that has interesting implications for the goal of sustaining human civilisation.

Keywords

complex systemequilibriumfar-from-equilibriumhuman civilisationpopulation collapsesustainability
Type
Research Article
Information
Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh , Volume 98 , Issue 1 , March 2007 , pp. 101 - 116
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 2007

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