When Sir David Attenborough bought an odd carving at a New York auction in the early 1980s, he had no idea that it would lead him on an investigation that would span the globe, taking him to Russia, Australia, England and Easter Island.
The carving was considered of little value. But Attenborough was fascinated by its “grotesque head, attached to a body grossly elongated and as thin as a stick, carved in wood” – and he was determined to discover more.
The Lost Gods of Easter Island, airing on PBS at 7.50pm on August 15th, follows David as he learns more about their forgotten civilisation, and attempts to find the origin of the carving – possibly a gift given to Captain Cook by the Easter Island natives in 1774.
