Episode
Episode 99. Rapa Nui's Collapse: Mike Pitts
- Podcast
- Science History Podcast
- Published
- Feb 11, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 6872
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Summary
Often in the history of science, myths overrun scientific findings and take hold with such force that they are difficult or nearly impossible to dislodge from public understanding. Perhaps no example of this phenomenon is more pronounced than that of the societal collapse of Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui. With us to unravel the myth from the science is Mike Pitts. Mike is a writer and broadcaster (a frequent voice on BBC radio), archaeologist (directing excavations at Stonehenge), and one-time museum curator. He has written for The Times , Telegraph , Sunday Times , Observer , and Guardian , and many magazines including New Scientist , Archaeology , and BBC History . He edited British Archaeology magazine for 20 years and has written books on topics ranging from the discovery of Richard III's grave to How to Build Stonehenge . His original research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature , World Archaeology , and Antiquity . He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.