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Understanding Easter Island with James Grant-Peterkin

Understanding Easter Island with James Grant-Peterkin


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Can't make this time? A video recording will be sent to all participants after the seminar.

Discover the history of one of the world's most mysterious places.

Hidden in a remote corner of the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world. Famous for its large stone statues, or moai, the island has been intriguing foreign visitors ever since it was first sighted by outsiders on Easter Sunday 1722, and now attracts a steady stream of adventurous tourists, keen to experience and understand this mysterious place for themselves.

Who carved these enormous statues? Why are they only found on this one small island, and most importantly, what do they really mean?

James Grant-Peterkin will lead you on a historical journey from the island’s settlement by Polynesians right up to the modern-day, covering everything from the origins of the famous statues to the issues facing this isolated population today. He will also elaborate on what it’s really like to live on such a remote island in the twenty-first Century, and hopefully inspire you to visit this mysterious island yourself.

James Grant-Peterkin is a graduate of Cambridge University and is the British Honorary Consul on Easter Island. He has been studying Polynesian culture, linguistics, and archaeology for over 20 years, most of those while living on Easter Island itself, and is author of the guidebook “A Companion to Easter Island”. He has lectured extensively on Eastern Polynesia, both on cruise ships and at educational institutions worldwide.

This conversation is suitable for all ages.

90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.

Customer Reviews

Based on 16 reviews
94%
(15)
6%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
A
Alan Merson (Woodland Hills, US)

The level of detail and history exceeded my expectations. It was a very fascinating and worthwhile 90 minutes.

M
Muriel Dimock (Lakeville, US)

Guest did not leave comment

S
Sandra S -- Boston (Saugus, US)
Great Overview of a Fascinating Site

Wow, I learned so much from this seminar about Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Ever since reading "Kon-Tiki" by Thor Heyerdahl as an adolescent, have been fascinated by the exploration of the remote Pacific islands and later, curiosity about Easter Island.

This seminar answered many of my questions about the island: e.g., who may have settled there, how they got there, how moai statues were made and moved plus what they may signify, theories about the "collapse", current status of the island, etc. The speaker answered these plus more -- current island situation in modern times. I found the information about COVID's impact recently on a very remote island quite enlightening. This has enticed me to register for Mr Grant-Peterkin's next lecture about the Kon-Tiki journey, of course!!

S
S.B. (Vancouver, CA)
Very informative

Well presented

Reviewer avatar
Beth Ann from Michigan (Plymouth, US)
Really good historical overview and virtual tour of Easter Island.

James Grant-Peterkin did a really good job laying out the history of how the islands were formed, discovered and settled. He also did a great job explaining our best understanding of the purpose and process surrounding the Moai. I visited Easter Island right before the Covid shutdown. During my visit I don't recall any discussion of why or how the Moai got toppled so that was very interesting to me. The fact that James has lived there for ~20 years gives a very "insider" view of life on the island which perfectly complements his academic knowledge. This was a thoroughly enjoyable conversation.

Customer Reviews

Based on 16 reviews
94%
(15)
6%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
A
Alan Merson (Woodland Hills, US)

The level of detail and history exceeded my expectations. It was a very fascinating and worthwhile 90 minutes.

M
Muriel Dimock (Lakeville, US)

Guest did not leave comment

S
Sandra S -- Boston (Saugus, US)
Great Overview of a Fascinating Site

Wow, I learned so much from this seminar about Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Ever since reading "Kon-Tiki" by Thor Heyerdahl as an adolescent, have been fascinated by the exploration of the remote Pacific islands and later, curiosity about Easter Island.

This seminar answered many of my questions about the island: e.g., who may have settled there, how they got there, how moai statues were made and moved plus what they may signify, theories about the "collapse", current status of the island, etc. The speaker answered these plus more -- current island situation in modern times. I found the information about COVID's impact recently on a very remote island quite enlightening. This has enticed me to register for Mr Grant-Peterkin's next lecture about the Kon-Tiki journey, of course!!

S
S.B. (Vancouver, CA)
Very informative

Well presented

Reviewer avatar
Beth Ann from Michigan (Plymouth, US)
Really good historical overview and virtual tour of Easter Island.

James Grant-Peterkin did a really good job laying out the history of how the islands were formed, discovered and settled. He also did a great job explaining our best understanding of the purpose and process surrounding the Moai. I visited Easter Island right before the Covid shutdown. During my visit I don't recall any discussion of why or how the Moai got toppled so that was very interesting to me. The fact that James has lived there for ~20 years gives a very "insider" view of life on the island which perfectly complements his academic knowledge. This was a thoroughly enjoyable conversation.