The Mystery of Easter Island

weighed several tonnes. But as there were no forests on the island, he could not comprehend how people devoid of heavy timber could build and erect something that size. It was also remarkable considering the absence of metal objects for carving and cutting, and the reliance on mere human strength as no draught animals could be seen either. Roggeveen was equally amazed as to how the islanders could have come to colonise such a remote place. Their canoes were leaky and frail, not the sort of ocean-going craft that could survive a three-week sea journey. At the time of his visit, it seemed evident the islanders were living in extremely poor conditions and that there was no cultivation of crops. B What was the mystery behind the statues? In the 1970s, the author Erich von Däniken suggested the statues were the work of extraterrestrial beings. It was hard to believe the stones were the work of humans who were more than 2,000 miles from the nearest mainland, so for a short period of time his theory appealed to those fascinated with space travel. But for serious academics, the puzzle of the statues has caused a deep divide. Some archaeologists see Easter Island as an example of what can happen when the lust for material splendour…