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Orongo was the only city on Easter Island. An extremely difficult competition was held here

Article bay
5 min readMay 28, 2023

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Easter Island, otherwise known as Rapa Nui, had one city before the arrival of Europeans. It was Orongo. In its ruins, a mysterious representation of a man-bird is repeated.

[Photo by Diego Gonzalez from Pexels]

Rapa Nui is literally on the other side of the world — from Europe’s point of view. The small island in the all-encompassing ocean was inhabited by a people about whom we still know very little. Later, the islanders formed a common village, settlement or city. This was Orongo, a mysterious center known for its massive houses and the cult of the bird man.

Who were the indigenous inhabitants of Rapa Nui?

How did the first people settle Easter Island? This is the great mystery of mankind. Europeans did not arrive there until the 18th century from the east, as the Pacific trade lanes only allowed that direction in the area. Genetic and ethnographic studies, however, show that the Rapanujans came from the west.

How did they do it? How did they sail thousands of kilometers? How did they locate the island? What knowledge must they have had that they subjugated the belts before the advent of steam ships, which were the first to be able to do so? The one who finds conclusive answers will probably get the Nobel Prize.

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Article bay
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