William Mulloy’s Rapa Nui Archaeological Research

Record summary

American archaeologist William T. Mulloy conducted influential fieldwork on Rapa Nui, including investigations and restoration associated with ceremonial platforms, statues, and settlement evidence. His work developed in the same period as Heyerdahl’s expedition but was not identical to Heyerdahl’s culture-history claims. Mulloy’s reports and collaborations are useful for examining monument chronology, site conservation, and the transition from popular mystery narratives to systematic archaeology. Some early interpretations have been revised as radiocarbon, bioarchaeological, and landscape research expanded.