> Much of the so-called "mystery" of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) comes from the lack of openly available, detailed evidence that would allow researchers to evaluate hypotheses and construct explanations.

No, much of the mystery comes from not talking with the locals (the Rapa Nui).

I have been to Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and I highly recommend visiting.

Also, some of the mystery comes from podcasts that pretend to be authoritative and spew out falsities.