This program will be on sale soon! We are still confirming the details Easter Island: Revisiting a History Afternoon Lecture/Seminar Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET Code: 1NV171 Location: This online program is presented on Zoom. Select your Registration $25 Member $35 Gen. Admission Resize text For decades, says archaeologist and writer Mike Pitts, the history of Easter Island (Rapa Nui) has been wrongly told as a cautionary tale: Islanders felled their trees and destroyed their resources, causing society to collapse amidst war and tumbling statues. Drawing on his new book, Island at the Edge of the World, which explores early historic records and the latest archaeology, he illustrates, by contrast, the resilience of island communities. An understanding of the roots of the ecological misconception allows Pitts to frame a new explanation for the hundreds of statues. Inspired by Polynesian mythology and Pacific archaeology, he proposes a world of beliefs and rituals that embraced the entire island in a powerful vision of creativity, life, and death. Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island (Mariner Books) is available for sale. Book Sale Information Purchase your copy of Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island by Mike Pitts here. SPECIAL NOTE: Politics and Prose is offering a 10% discount to Smithsonian Associates ticket-holders. To claim your discount, enter the code SPECIAL10 (no space between letters and numbers) in the “Coupon discount” or “Comments” section on Politics and Prose's check-out page. General Information View Common FAQs and Policies about our Online Programs on Zoom.
