This work presents contrasting views on the socio-environmental history of the Rapa Nui. The dominant point of view argues for the occurrence of a cultural “ecocide” caused by the environmental degradation of the Easter Island environment. The opposite school that suggests that introduction of diseases and practice of slavery by foreign visitors was responsible for societal collapse. This integrative view is a product of a concept map developed in Cmap Tools software, based on literature review and field work during 2015. The concept map identified the crucial elements in causal chains, corresponding to the turning points of the argumentative chains, from one school of thoughts to the other one. The interdependence among the two schools of thoughts were demonstrated by different causal chains (highlighted by the use of different colors in the connection lines) sharing the same concepts or elements in the system (the turning points). These turning points highlighted in the concept map, were: eating palm fruits by rodents, decrease of palm trees, transportation of statues (moai), production of canoes, getting firewood and landscape pattern. This work demonstrated how concept maps can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the Rapa Nui history and it identified the key processes that drive the interpretative choices for one school of thought or another. As a result, it can be noted that the concept map can effectively address what are the key processes that investigations should focus on to advance our understanding of the Rapa Nui prehistory.