The ceremonial village of Orongo is one of the most interesting and spectacular archaeological sites on Easter Island. Here an ancient ritual that still inspires the competitions of the Tapati Rapa Nui festival took place.
The village of Orongo was inhabited seasonally by the chiefs and main characters of the ancient tribes, who hoped to collect the first sacred egg of the manutara bird in the months of spring.
It is believed that the first Orongo constructions were not related to the manutara cult. In fact, just before the start of the village, on the edge that looks at the lagoon, there are the remains of a small ahu or platform. Only the base at ground level of a single moai is conserved, which according to some hypothesis could be the famous Hoa Hakananai’a moai.
In front of the ahu some holes in the stones can be seen, which could have been used as an astronomical observatory to determine the position of the sun. https://imaginaisladepascua.com/en/easter-island-sightseeing/easter-island-archaeology/orongo/