[csomar]

The people from over 20,000 years ago came from the northern ice bridge, however. My suggestion is that these people got civilization ideas from the Islanders at around 1500BC. They didn't get a full line of communication with the old world but enough ideas were taken to kick start a civilization.

[ianburrell]

What "civilization ideas"? How did they get these ideas from an uninhabited island? Easter Island wasn't settled by Polynesians by at least 300 AD.

There is evidence of contact between Polynesian and South America. Like Polynesians having sweet potato. But not enough for visible changes of either one.

Civilization doesn't seem to spread by short contact, only close contact. Civilization is complex so a few ideas aren't enough to spread it. And it is hard for culture to accept that much change.

[AlotOfReading]

Rapa nui (and other Eastern Pacific Islands) hadn't been settled yet at that point, while indigenous Americans were already building monumental structures (e.g. Norte Chico) and working metal (old copper complex). The latter predates most metalworking in the old world too.

[csomar]

Their settling is irrelevant as long as they were able to get there. It's possible that they brought the ideas to Norte Chico where a civilization developed before them settling down.

[jcranmer]

Norte Chico civilization had collapsed 2000 years before Polynesians started their oceanic expansion.

[JumpCrisscross]

> people from over 20,000 years ago came from the northern ice bridge

Isn't the latest research strongly implying they came by boat?