Early Easter Island had contact with South America

[quintessentone]

How do they know there was contact between the different peoples and not that the seeds of those crops arrived on Easter Island by travel by sea - as coconut seeds do? I mean is all they are basing that assumption on is the remains on the blade? I would have thought any contact between peoples of different regions of the world would include trade of goods (?) and intermarriage (?) and a blend of customs/cooking (?)

https://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/202...%20buoyant.