Easter Island, situated in the Pacific Ocean, is famous for its monumental stone statues called moai. But how was this small, isolated island first discovered? The answer dates back to 1722, when Dutch navigator Jakob Roggeveen spotted the tiny island during his voyage around the world.
Roggeveen, born in 1659, was an experienced and renowned navigator who had made several discovery voyages for the Netherlands. In 1721, he was appointed by the Dutch East India Company to lead an expedition into the South Pacific to find new lands for establishing colonies and for conducting commercial activities.
On April 5, 1722, Roggeveen and his crew sighted Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui. They were struck by the island's beauty, with its green hills and rocky shores. But what surprised them the most were the strange stone statues, the moai, standing on the cliffs.
The moai are massive stone statues, carved from the volcanic rock of the island. They are often considered one of the greatest archaeological mysteries of the world. At the time of the island's discovery, the moai had already been there for centuries, but the inhabitants of Easter Island had kept their existence a secret, reserving their knowledge for an elite few.
The inhabitants of Easter Island, the Rapa Nui, were peaceful and welcoming people. They immediately offered food and water to Roggeveen and his crew, allowing them to rest and resupply before continuing their voyage.
Unfortunately, Roggeveen did not truly appreciate the beauty and cultural richness of Easter Island. He rather regarded the island as a simple stopover on his route and did not take the time to discover it in-depth. He named the island "Paasch Eyland" (Easter Island) in honor of the day of Easter, the day he discovered it.
Despite this, the discovery of Easter Island by Jakob Roggeveen had a significant impact on understanding the history and culture of this isolated island. The moai continued to intrigue archaeologists and tourists from around the world, and Easter Island has now become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
Telim tor, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Ele_de_P%C3%A2ques#/media/Fichier:AhuTongariki.jpg
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