Rapa Nui society

Rapa Nui society appears on the timeline as a people or culture of Polynesia (Oceania) from c. 1200 to 1888 CE, a span of 688 years. Its people spoke Austronesian languages (Malay, Javanese, Cham, Tagalog, Malagasy, Polynesian, Maori).

Polynesians settled Easter Island around 1200 CE and carved nearly 1,000 moai statues. Deforestation, Peruvian slave raids in 1862 and disease cut the population to 111 people by 1877.

See Rapa Nui society on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

c. 1200 to 1888 CE

Duration

688 years

Type

People or culture

Region

Polynesia, Oceania

Language family

Austronesian

Came from

• Ancestral Polynesian society c. 850 BCE to 1000 CE

Became

• Chilean Rapa Nui 1888 CE to the present

Events in Oceania during its time

• 1280 Polynesians reach New Zealand
• 1606 Duyfken lands in Australia
• 1642 Tasman reaches New Zealand
• 1778 Cook reaches Hawaii
• 1788 First Fleet lands at Sydney Cove
• 1840 Treaty of Waitangi
• 1851 Australian gold rushes

Neighbours in Oceania

• Tu'i Tonga Empire c. 950 to 1865 CE
• Saudeleur dynasty c. 1100 to 1628 CE
• Colony of New South Wales 1788 to 1901 CE
• Kingdom of Hawaii 1795 to 1893 CE
• Colony of New Zealand 1841 to 1907 CE
• German New Guinea 1884 to 1914 CE
• Spanish Marianas 1668 to 1898 CE
• French Polynesia 1842 CE to the present
• Kingdom of Tonga 1845 CE to the present
• French New Caledonia 1853 CE to the present

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Europe
• Byzantine Empire 395 to 1453 CE, Middle East
• Swahili city-states c. 800 to 1700 CE, Central and Southern Africa
• Ghana Empire (Wagadu) c. 300 to 1200 CE, North and West Africa
• Holy Roman Empire 962 to 1806 CE, Europe
• Srivijaya c. 650 to 1377 CE, Southeast Asia
• Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty) 1270 to 1974 CE, North and West Africa
• Khmer Empire 802 to 1431 CE, Southeast Asia
• Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE, Europe

Questions