A new archaeological study is reshaping our understanding of how the iconic ritual monuments of East Polynesia, including the famous moai statues of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), came to be. Research published in the journal Antiquity challenges the long-held theory that cultural ideas in the region spread in a simple one-way path from west to east. Instead, a team from Uppsala University suggests that after initial settlement, a complex, two-way exchange of architectural and ritual concepts took place, with Rapa Nui acting as a point of innovation that sent new ideas westward across the Pacific.

For centuries, the story of Polynesia has been one of incredible human achievement, with expert navigators settling a vast ocean territory. This migration is understood to have moved from a western hub, including Tonga and Samoa, eastward to the far-flung islands of Hawaiʻi, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and Rapa Nui. Following this initial settlement, it was largely assumed that remote islands like Rapa Nui developed in isolation. This view, however, struggled to explain the striking similarities in ritual spaces, known as marae, found across the region. These rectangular clearings, often marked by stone, served as sacred communal centers for ceremonies and worship.

By analyzing a wealth of archaeological data and radiocarbon dates, a scientific method used to determine the age of ancient organic materials, researchers identified three distinct phases of cultural development. The first phase, from approximately A.D. 1000 to 1300, aligns with the traditional west-to-east migration, spreading the basic concept of ritual spaces marked by simple stone uprights for burials and feasts. The second phase, however, reveals a surprising reversal. Between roughly A.D. 1300 and 1600, the idea to formalize these spaces into more elaborate stone temple platforms, or marae, appears to have originated in the east, possibly on Rapa Nui, and diffused westward through established interaction networks.

The final phase saw the rise of the massive monuments that define many Polynesian islands today. As island societies grew more isolated and developed distinct social hierarchies, or systems of ranked social status, they began building monumental structures to display power and prestige. This localized trend led to the creation of the giant moai statues on Rapa Nui and other impressive structures on islands like Tahiti. “This paper challenges commonly accepted ideas about the movement and development of ritual temple sites in East Polynesia,” concludes lead author Professor Paul Wallin in a journal press release. “The findings suggest a more complex pattern than previously thought…more elaborate temple structures developed on Easter Island, which then influenced other parts of East Polynesia in an east-to-west movement.”

References

• Antiquity. (2025, July 7). Radiocarbon dating reveals Rapa Nui not as isolated as previously thought. Phys.Org; Antiquity. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-radiocarbon-dating-reveals-rapa-nui.html

• Wallin, P., & Martinsson-Wallin, H. (2025). From ritual spaces to monumental expressions: Rethinking East Polynesian ritual practices. Antiquity, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2025.10096