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Re: (meteorobs) LA area limiting magnitude
At 10:24 PM 9/17/98 EDT, KKreigh@aol.com wrote:
> I saw a television show about Easter Island a few days ago. It said
>80% of the statues fell down in the same direction. The trees are gone. Has a
>meteorite strike been ruled out?
The statues (moai) of Easter Island are certainly not 80% fallen; in fact,
a large percentage never got out of the quarry where they were made:
*Total number of moai on Easter Island: 887
*Total number of maoi that were successfully transported to their final ahu
(pedestal) locations: 288 (32% of 887)
*Total number of moai still in the Rano Raraku quarry: 397 (45%)
*Total number of moai lying 'in transit' outside of the Rano Raraku quarry:
92 (10%)
The major period of moai building was between 1400 and 1600 AD.
Easter Island was inhabited by Polynesians during the great age of the
voyaging canoes, between 400-600 AD. The presence of the sweet potato in
Polynesia and the fine style of stonework found on Easter Island suggest
some contact with South America; however, DNA analysis of remains indicates
a Polynesian heritage for the Eatser Island natives.
The isolation of Easter Island and population growth explain the
destruction of the forests of the island. Early archaeological evidence
indicates a thriving community based on the sea, with numerous kinds of
fish and mammals being eaten. Over the years, use of the forest materials
for canoe building, fuel, and other construction caused the depletion of
the forests. The great spasm of moai building probably finished the forest
off, with the need for transport and rigging materials. Archaeologists
have documented a decline in dietary protein available from fishing due to
lack of wood to build canoes, and some indications of a corresponding rise
in cannibalism. The Easter Islanders' diet consisted mostly of sweet
potatos and bananas during the final couple of hundred years or so before
western contact in 1722.
Most of the photos of fallen moai I have seen show them lying downhill from
their ahu, which what I would expect. The forces of erosion on these
islands are strong, and I think that's what undercut the fallen moai. I'll
look for a reference on this.
Sorry if this is too far off topic, but I thought I could sense some Bad
Science out there....
Jim Bedient
Honolulu, Hawaii
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James R. Bedient wh6ef@pixi.com
Operations Supervisor jamesdot bedient@faa.dotdot gov
Honolulu CERAP http://www.pixi.com/~wh6ef
Federal Aviation Administration http://www.serve.com/meteors
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