Easter Island with archaeologist Mike Pitts
<p>Every book I read about Easter Island said roughly the same thing: a small, isolated group of people living on the world’s most remote inhabited island couldn’t have sculpted, moved and erected the enormous statues that are Easter Island’s most famous feature.</p><p>Or if they had, they must have been consumed by a monument building obsession that led them to cut down all the trees, causing mass starvation and warfare,<strong> </strong>and<strong> </strong>destroying their own civilization in the process.</p><p>Archaeologist Mike Pitts tells a very different and far more compelling story.</p><p>He draws on the latest research to build a picture of a remarkable cultural flourishing in a remote and unforgiving environment, by people with a highly sophisticated system of agriculture and a rich tapestry of myths, religion, political stratification and artistry.</p><p>His new book is one of my top reads of the year, and I couldn’t wait to talk to him about it.</p><p>We spoke about the small group of settlers who discovered the island, the genesis of the famous ecocide myth, and what those massive stone statues really mean.</p><p>Personal Landscapes relies on the support of listeners like you to keep going. Please consider joining my Member's Club on Substack <a target="_blank" href="https://www.personallandscapespodcast.com/p/start-here">https://www.personallandscapespodcast.com/p/start-here</a></p><p>You’ll be supporting an independent ad-free podcast that publishes carefully curated conversations like this one, backed by decades of reading.</p><p></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://www.personallandscapespodcast.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2">www.personallandscapespodcast.com/subscribe</a>
