Rapa Nui

By waggle
  • 800

    Pre-Colonial Period- Settlement of Rapa Nui

    Polynesian navigators from Tahiti or other central Pacific islands discover and settle on Rapa Nui, bringing their culture and starting to build the island’s unique society.
  • 1200

    Development of Moai Statues

    The construction and erection of the Moai statues happened in this time. These statues vital to Rapa Nui’s culture and religion, depicting leaders and ancestors.
  • 1500

    Expansion of Moai Construction and Ahu Platforms

    The construction of the Moai statues and Ahu platforms continue. They each become stratified and more intricate.

  • European Contact and Early Colonial Period- First European Contact

    The Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen arrives on the island which marks the beginning of European contact with the island. He arrives on Easter Sunday (hence the name "Easter Island").

  • Spanish Expedition

    Felipe González de Ahedo, Spanish explorer, visits Rapa Nui. The Spanish attempts at interaction and mapping.

  • Slave Raids

    Peruvian slave traders capture and forcibly remove a significant portion of the Rapa Nui population, meaning a rapid decline of Rapa Nuis population.