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Quiz about That Island With All The Big Heads On It

That Island With All The Big Heads On It Quiz

Rapa Nui,or Easter Island as it is now more commonly known as, has remained an enigma for many people over the last 300 or so years. This quiz will answer some of the questions you may have about it and confirm some of the facts you already know.

A multiple-choice quiz by damnsuicidalroos. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
damnsuicidalroos

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
159,584

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
1930

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Easter Island was discovered by Europeans on Easter Sunday 1722. From which country did the first known European discoverers of Easter Island come from? Hint

France

Spain

Holland

England

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Question 2 of 10

2. One of the most remarkable aspects of the first meeting between Easter Islanders and Europeans was the inability of the Europeans to grasp the desperate condition the islanders were in. Why were the Easter Islanders in such a desperate state? Hint

Lack of sufficient food

Lack of weapons

Lack of water

Lack of fire

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Question 3 of 10

3. Rapa Nui appears to be a semi-desolate place to live these days but it wasn`t always so. The island was once covered in palm trees but these have all but disappeared now. What is the major reason for the absence of trees on Rapa Nui? Hint

The palms were used as firewood

The palms were used to move the carved rock heads

The palms were used to make canoes

The palms died of a fungal disease

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Question 4 of 10

4. For many years the giant heads on Rapa Nui were thought to be lifeless depictions of dead relatives. This theory was thrown into doubt by the finding of a material that when placed back on the heads gave them a life-like appearance. What was the discovered material? Hint

Paint

Egg shells

Palm resin

Coral

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Question 5 of 10

5. Most of the residents of Easter Island live in one town,though others do live in towns and villages that have been or are in the process of being restored. What is the name of the largest town on the island? Hint

Rano Raraku

Hanga Roa

Orongo

Ahu Akiva

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Question 6 of 10

6. After tribal conflicts on Rapa Nui had settled it was decided to share the resources of the island in a more peaceful manner. A contest was organised and the winning tribe was given the right to more food than the other tribes for a year. What did the winner have to do to get this benefit for his tribe? Hint

Swim through shark infested waters and get the first egg laid on another island by a Sooty Tern

Make a suit out of bird feathers and fly across to another island first

Throw himself into a volcano

Carve the biggest head

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Question 7 of 10

7. In the 1860s one South American country had severe labour supply problems. This problem was partially solved by the taking of people from Easter Island and making them slaves. What country was most active in the kidnapping and enslavement of Easter islanders? Hint

Brazil

Peru

Chile

Bolivia

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Question 8 of 10

8. In 1888 Rapa Nui was annexed by which country? Hint

Chile

United States

Holland

Portugal

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Question 9 of 10

9. Perhaps one of the most famous modern explorers and seamen of the last century. This man's name will always be associated with both the Kon-Tiki expedition and Easter Island. What is his name? Hint

Nick Thorp

Captain Cook

Jean Baptiste Onexime Dutrou-Bornier

Thor Heyerdahl

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Question 10 of 10

10. Easter Island is also known as Rapa Nui which is its Polynesian name and Isla de Pascua which is just Easter Island in Spanish. The original inhabitants called their island Te Pito O Te Henua. What is the meaning of this name? Hint

Navel Of The World

Head Of The World

Centre Of The World

Face Of The World

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Easter Island was discovered by Europeans on Easter Sunday 1722. From which country did the first known European discoverers of Easter Island come from?

Answer: Holland

The commander of the three Dutch ships that found Easter Island was Jacob Roggeveen. Sadly this first meeting resulted in some dozen islanders being shot by nervous seamen.

Answer: Lack of sufficient food

The population of Easter Island at its peak reached about 10,000 people. Sadly this number of people couldn`t be sustained by the resources available and people began to starve. Cannibalism became the only way to survive and the inter-tribal warfare that ensued killed off about two thirds of the population.

Answer: The palms were used to move the carved rock heads

Though palms were cleared to make room for agriculture and some were certainly used to make canoes the over-whelming evidence to date is that rivalry between tribes to make the most and largest stone heads caused the palms to disappear. The palms were used to make rollers to move the heads.

The action of removing the palms also caused rains to wash away most of the top soil,causing crops to fail. Something to think about:This is a small island with most of it viewable from a couple of mountains. It is quite possible that the man that cut down the last palm was aware that it was the very last. What went through his mind as he cut it down?

Answer: Coral

The coral was found on the island by one of the descendants of the original inhabitants. The original piece found was carved into a donut shape. When placed back onto a head it fitted perfectly around the eye.Once back on the coral gave the heads a truly life-like look.

Answer: Hanga Roa

Most of the 2000 inhabitants of Rapa Nui live in Hanga roa. Rano Raraku is the area that the islands statues were originally carved. Orongo is a village built on the rim of a volcano. One of the interesting things about this village is that there are many petroglyph's of figures known as "birdmen" there. Ahu Akiva is a site built around 1460.

There are seven large heads [or moai as the heads are referred to by the islanders] there. They are thought to have been village chiefs.

Answer: Swim through shark infested waters and get the first egg laid on another island by a Sooty Tern

Though the head carving had finished the islanders love of carving hadn`t stopped at all. There are many carvings of the birdmen on the island.

Answer: Peru

Peru enslaved about 2000 Easter islanders. About 90 percent of islanders died in the first two years of capture. Many of the people enslaved carried to their deaths much of the knowledge of the history of Rapa Nui. The surviving islanders[about 15]were returned to Easter Island due to religious intervention,sadly they brought with them small pox which nearly wiped out the population.

8. In 1888 Rapa Nui was annexed by which country?

Answer: Chile

Though the influence of Chile is now in evidence in Rapa Nui the islanders themselves resent the fact that their culture is being overwhelmed and are striving to keep their language,customs and way of life intact.

9. Perhaps one of the most famous modern explorers and seamen of the last century. This man's name will always be associated with both the Kon-Tiki expedition and Easter Island. What is his name?

Answer: Thor Heyerdahl

Nick Thorp did sail from Chile to Easter Island in a reed boat but he wasn`t associated with the Kon-Tiki expedition. Dutrou-Bornier tried to establish a sheep ranch on Rapa Nui but despite his determination and willingness to kill he himself was killed by the islanders in 1877. Though Captain Cook did visit Easter Island in 1774 he was so sick he rarely went ashore and had little impact on the island.

Answer: Navel Of The World

Perhaps with luck and good management of Te Pito O Te Henua there can be a rebirth of the island society and the people of this island can once again flourish.

Source: Author damnsuicidalroos

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
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