This shows that the population could never have been as big as some of the previous estimates. The lesson is the opposite of the collapse theory. People were able to be very resilient in the face of limited resources by modifying the environment in a way that helped.
A new study challenges this narrative of ecocide, saying that Rapa Nui's population never spiraled to unsustainable levels. Instead, the settlers found ways to cope with the island's severe limits, and maintained a small, stable population for centuries.
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