Horizon
Horizon
The Mystery Of Easter Island #S40E01
On Easter Day 1722, Dutch explorers landed on Easter Island. A civilisation isolated by 4,000km of Pacific Ocean was about to meet the outside world for the first time in centuries. The strangers were about to find something very strange themselves - an island dotted with hundreds of huge stone statues and a society that was not as primitive as they expected. The first meeting was an immense clash of cultures. (Bloody too: the sailors killed ten natives within minutes of landing.) Where had the Islanders originally come from? Why and how had they built the figures? Modern science is piecing together the story, but it is far too late for the Easter Islanders themselves. They were virtually wiped out by a series of disasters - natural and man made - that brought a population of 12,000 down to just 111 in a few centuries. The Island's inhabitants today all have Chilean roots, making solving the mysteries even harder. There is no one to ask about the first people of Easter Island. Although fragmentary legends have been passed down, only science can hope to explain the rise and fall of this unusual civilisation.
Episode 1 of Season 40 from Horizon — available to stream in HD on any device.
Comments & Discussions
Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts!
Recommended
Because you liked Horizon
Antiques Road Trip
Antiques Road Trip
Mayday
Mayday
Фитиль
Fuse
American Experience
American Experience
MythBusters
MythBusters
The Curse of Oak Island
The Curse of Oak Island
FEDS
FEDS
Accused: A Mother on Trial
Accused: A Mother on Trial
Chambre 2806 : l'affaire DSK
Room 2806: The Accusation
Accused: Guilty or Innocent?
Accused: Guilty or Innocent?
Explore Content
Search for movies, TV shows, collections, manga, or people
Trending Now