Q: Many popular narratives about Easter Island rely on assumptions of societal collapse or rigid hierarchies. How do your findings challenge these assumptions, and what new picture Rapa Nui society emerges from your data? A: Our findings at Rano Raraku and in other studies we’ve done over the past 25 years fundamentally rewrite the temporal narrative of Rapa Nui, replacing a story of rise-and-fall with one of continuous adaptation and persistence.