Orongo

Orongo is on the edge to the Rano Kau extinct volcano crater, south of the capital Hanga Roa. The volcano has steep cliffs and a small lake in its crater that serves Hanga Roa with water. It is 1km diameter and 280m deep.

This Orongo village consists of 54 houses built from stone slabs, although their design clearly evokes that of hare-vaka (boathouses), common to the rest of the island.
 
It is believed to have been a ceremonial centre from the 16^th century, for the birdman cult and it was used for a few weeks of the year in the spring. Island society left megalithism as their ancestoral, political and religious expression and replaced it for the cult to the Make Make god, closely related to fertility, spring and migratory seabirds.
 
Due to the spread of Christianity and the illnesses brought by Europeans, less and less locals used the site until it was finally abandoned in the mid 19^th century. Restoration work and studies have been conducted in the 1970s and 1980s.
 
There used to be a basalt moai called Hoa Hakananai'a, that is now on display in the British Museum. Unlike other statues, this one is built from basalt, the hardest material on the island.

Petrolglyphs

Several thousands of petroglyphs can be found on Easter Island. Most of them represent animals, especially birds and the legendary ‘bird men’ (half man-half bird mythological creatures).

The material used for making them was usually volcanic rock with smooth surface. Most often hardened lava and basalt. The petroglyphs appear on large boulders located close to the shore.

Tangata Manu, The Bird Man Cult

Also called the "Manutara", this was a ritual held once every year in the spring. The birdman was seen as the representative on earth of the creator god Makemake, and eventually, this cult surpassed the traditional power of the king ariki

A representative from each tribe was chosen by the leaders and was appointed to dive into the ocean and swim to the islet of Motu Nui. First, a gathering was held at the ceremonial village of Orongo, then the selected members set off and swam to Motu Nui in order to collect the first egg laid by a Sooty Tern bird.

The first swimmer to return to the main island with an intact egg would secure control of Easter Island's resources for his tribe for the rest of the year. The winner was then invested with the title of Tangata Manu and he then went down to Mataveri and from there was led in procession to the southwest exterior slope of Rano Raraku, where he remained in seclusion for a year.

The task was dreadfully difficult and many swimmers drowned or were devoured by sharks. The last known Tangata Manu contest was held in the 1800s.