Researchers revise timing of Easter island's societal collapse

[wnylib]

4. Much more difficult for a collapsed society

to unify the manpower necessary for large monument construction. If the manpower even exists any more. Diminished numbers, due to disease and slave raiding would disrupt social unity and manpower supply, making construction of monumental structures nearly impossible to continue. People might continue with rituals regarding existing structures, depending on the purpose of the structures, after a societal collapse.

But societal collapse means that a social unity system no longer functions. The records of outside visitors about continued use of the monuments and rituals strongly
suggests that societal unity had not yet collapsed at that time. Might have been on a downturn in 1770 since it had collapsed by 1774, but was still functioning in 1770 according to descriptions from outsiders.