Category Archives: Easter Island

Reconsidering the Easter Island Collapse (and the Irony of Jared Diamond’s Interpretation of It)

Posted on January 24, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Barbara King recently asked “Why Does Jared Diamond Make Anthropologists So Mad?” It’s not my place to speak for anthropologists (I’m not Mike the Mad Anthropologist), but I do know what has made me very skeptical of Diamond’s claims: his … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Easter Island, Ecology, Environment | 3 Comments

Rethinking Easter Island’s Collapse

Posted on February 1, 2012 by mikethemadbiologist

Easter Island (also known as Rapa Nui) has become symbolic of the potential for the environment to cause societal collapse (e.g., Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel). But there’s a new book, The Statues That Walked by Terry Hunt and … Continue reading →

Posted in Easter Island | 4 Comments