# Davis 2024: Island-wide characterization of agricultural production challenges the demographic collapse hypothesis for Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

> Dylan S. Davis, Robert J. DiNapoli, Gina Pakarati et al., 2024. 7 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The 2024 population study.

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# Island-wide characterization of agricultural production challenges the demographic collapse hypothesis for Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Dylan S. Davis, Robert J. DiNapoli, Gina Pakarati et al., 2024. _Science Advances_.

Shortwave-infrared satellite imagery and machine learning map the rock gardens island-wide at about 0.76 km², far less than the 4 to 21 km² assumed; the gardens could have fed about 3,000 people, near the population seen at contact, so there was no large population to collapse.

**Easter Island moai** Articledoi: **[10.1126/sciadv.ado1459](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ado1459)** Checked against the original0

## What it's used for here

The 2024 population study.

## Cited by on this site 7 records

[A small, stable population adapted to a poor environment with rock gardens and kept building until contact;…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/answers/ANS0CTG357G5AP7/a-small-stable-population-adapted-to-a-poor-environment-with)

Answer

ANS

[Island-wide rock-garden map from SWIR satellite imagery](https://mysteriesdept.com/datasets/DAT0CTG39VY7V5F/island-wide-rock-garden-map-from-swir-satellite-imagery)

Dataset

DAT

[Garden extent supports about 3,000 people, matching the contact-period population.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/evidence/EVD0CTG35Q46159/garden-extent-supports-about-3-000-people-matching-the)

Evidence

EVD

[Rock gardens cover about 0.76 km², enough for about 3,000 people, so no large population existed.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/evidence/EVD0CTG34QW4K75/rock-gardens-cover-about-0-76-km2-enough-for-about-3-000)

Evidence

EVD

[Island-wide rock-garden mapping rejects the demographic collapse](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/events/EVT0CTG2ZC043F0/island-wide-rock-garden-mapping-rejects-the-demographic)

EVT

[The Easter Island moai](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai)

The mystery article

MYS

[Did Rapa Nui society collapse before European contact?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/easter-island-moai/questions/QST0CTG30B82PQ7/did-rapa-nui-society-collapse-before-european-contact)

Question

QST

## Cite it

```
Davis, D. S., DiNapoli, R. J., Pakarati, G., Hunt, T. L., & Lipo, C. P. (2024). Island-wide characterization of agricultural production challenges the demographic collapse hypothesis for Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ado1459
```

[Read it free at doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ado1459)

Key

**SRC** 0CTG2T7Y7G5Z

Kind

Journal article

Rights

CC-BY-NC-4.0

Checked

Against the published article

Added by

[apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)

The record

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