Anakena Archaeological Site

Anakena

Chile · Valparaíso, Easter Island

SettlementUnknownUNESCO · 1995
Approximate period1,200 CE — 1,450 CEEarly settlement of Rapa Nui and ahu construction phases See on the map ↓

In brief

Early settlement layers and successive ceremonial structures were excavated at Anakena, particularly around Ahu Nau Nau. No single starting year was given because different studies interpret the date of initial settlement differently.

What was found?

  • 1Obsidian tools

    Scrapers, knives, and borers were recovered from the early occupation layer beneath Ahu Nau Nau. These sharp-edged tools document everyday tasks predating the monumental platform.

  • 2Starch granules on tools

    Starch residues were identified on the surfaces of obsidian tools. Researchers associate them with plants such as taro, yam, breadfruit, and sweet potato; the species identifications are interpretations made in the study.

  • 3Construction phases of Ahu Nau Nau

    Excavations revealed successive construction phases of the platform. The earliest structure included a platform without statues and a partially paved plaza.

  • 4Charred nutshells

    Burnt shells collected from different contexts were used for radiocarbon dating. This made it possible to investigate the chronological sequence of the structures and occupation layers.

  • 5Polynesian rat bones

    Bones of Rattus exulans were found in the early cultural layer. Rat bones are also among the samples used to establish the site's chronology.

What does it point to?

Anakena is a settlement where traces of everyday life and ceremonial structures accumulated in successive layers in the same place. According to researchers, the starch residues suggest that the first communities brought various cultivated plants to the island; assessments differ regarding the date when settlement began.

What did it teach us?

  1. It showed that Ahu Nau Nau was modified in different phases rather than built in a single episode.
  2. Starch analyses expanded knowledge of early plant use on the island.
  3. Dates from Anakena contributed to a reassessment of the view that Rapa Nui was settled very early.

Latest news / selected archive

Research published in 2024 identified starch residues associated with breadfruit, taro and other plants on 20 obsidian tools recovered from early layers.

Record

Culture
Rapa Nui
Coordinates
-27.0739°, -109.3228°

Sources

  1. journals.plos.org
  2. experts.azregents.edu
  3. whc.unesco.org
  4. en.wikipedia.org

Nearby excavations


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12.000

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