Easter Island (Lost Worlds and Mysterious Civilizations) - Hardcover

Reis, Ronald A

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1604139722 ISBN 13: 9781604139723

Publisher: Chelsea House Publications, 2011

Synopsis

Easter Island is a true land of mystery. One of the most remotely inhabited places on Earth, this 64-square-mile speck in the South Pacific is more than 1,000 miles from anywhere else, yet Polynesian voyagers managed to settle Easter Island a thousand years ago. No one knows why the Moai, nearly a thousand megalithic volcanic statues, were carved, transported, and erected--or why they were all found facedown by European explorers. In addition, did a Stone Age population of less than 10,000 actually deforest the land, causing environmental devastation? There were as many as 16 million Chilean palms covering 70 percent of the island when the settlers first appeared, but Westerners in the early 18th century were astonished by the total absence of trees. Furthermore, the islanders adopted a new cult based on the worship of birds and in the process, annually elected a "sacred birdman" in a competition that may have been the most dangerous of its kind anywhere in the world. Though the island is one of the most studied and probed places on the planet, Easter Island remains one of the most mysterious places on the planet. Read in this new title about this fascinating place.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

For years, professional and amateur explorers and archaeologists have gone on the hunt to look for ancient civilizations and legendary cities. Many of these lost cities have mysteriously disappeared, leaving only traces of the people that had been there before. How could an entire civilization vanish, if indeed it ever existed? In Lost Worlds and Mysterious Civilizations, students will learn about the citizens and culture of these lost worlds, what happened to them, and what impact they have had on history.

This unique and interesting new series is great for general readers and students who are curious about these mysterious cities.

Each title contains 20 full-color and black-and-white images.

About the Author:

Ronald A. Reis has written young adult biographies as well as books on the Dust Bowl, the Empire State Building, the New York City subway system, African Americans and the Civil War, and the World Trade Organization for Chelsea House. He is the technology department chair at Los Angeles Valley College.

About this edition

• Publisher: Chelsea House Publications
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1604139722
• ISBN 13: 9781604139723
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 116