The hats, called pukao, were made from scoria. This rock came from the Puna Pau quarry. It shows the island’s geology and the Rapa Nui’s spiritual and cultural values. About 95% of the moai ...

But the explorers introduced deadly diseases to which islanders had no immunity, along with artifacts that replaced the moai as status symbols. Snatching Europeans’ hats—Hunt and Lipo cite ...