In this episode, we take a look at one of archaeology’s most enduring puzzles: the mystery of Easter Island. Find out how this unique community grew up in complete isolation, severed from the rest of the world by a vast expanse of ocean. Discover the incredible story of how it survived for so many centuries, and examine the evidence about what happened to finally bring this society, and its statues, crashing down.
This episode, we’re joined by children from the Toki School of Music and Arts on Easter Island, who were kind enough to record some traditional ancestral chants especially for the podcast.
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Dear Paul Cooper
I wanted to express my appreciation for your Fall of Civilization series. In particular the episode on Easter Island and the story of the Native population upon contact with the outside world. The sense of pathos and tragic irony really hit me–the image of christian crosses planted on the coast, where only a generation before Dutch explorers had arrived, shot and killed members of the Rapinoe population. And for this stage to be set on an Easter Sunday! It reminded me of Romeo and Juliet somehow, a kind of Shakespearean tragedy, where no one knows what they’re getting into.
Towards the end, you invited us to ‘imagine how they must of felt standing on those grassy slopes and watching the sails of tall ships coming in..’ Well, I did. I listened to the sound of Rapinoe music too, the beating of stone on stone, and thought of how similar it was to chaingang music and how the whole episode lent to some Delta blues ballard. I thought about righteous indignation and the ‘Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol’ and when is the ‘time for your tears’?
Needless to say, it seemed inexorably to lead toward a kind of perennial song, a lamentation of the heart. I tried to create my own interpretation inspired by your podcast and posted a link below. Thought you might like to hear. Hope you enjoy and thanks again!
Chris
https://tatchellandthetambourine.bandcamp.com/track/rongo-rongo
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Wow, such a great podcast. This episode in particular made me cry, laugh and sing. Thank you for the effort you put into this, it really shows. You can feel the truth in this by comparison to the others. I hope soon to be in a position to support you with more than my appreciation. Ive been told you say, chur bro, to someone thats a good friend, which you an outside writer has finally been to the Rapa Nui.
chur bro
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