The rock paintings from Orongo are one of the most singular archaeological finds in Rapa Nui. During their visit to the stone houses at Orongo in 1882 — where the Bird-Man cult used to be performed — German Commander Geisler and his purser Weisser found wall coverings inside the rooms: slabs of stone painted in earthen colours (red, black and white), placed on the wall opposite the door or on the ceiling. One of these slabs was 94 cm high and its designs represented a divine figure.
The German Expedition of 1882 and the Gunboat Hyäne
Following the unification of the many German states under Chancellor von Bismarck, Germany embarked on a campaign to colonize other lands in the name of His Majesty, the Kaiser (1881), following in the footsteps of the English, French, Americans, and Spanish. A part of their effort was due to the growing scientific interest among the Europeans about the megalithic stone structures of mysterious Rapa Nui.
The commander of the German battleship “Hyäne”, at anchor in the harbor of Valparaiso, was ready to set sail to Samoa when he received the order to visit and study the remains of an ancient culture on Easter Island for the Royal Museum of Berlin. After 24 days of navigation, they sighted the small island and dropped anchor in the bay of Huareva at Vaihú. Commander Geisler was graciously received by a European, Alexander Salmon, who introduced himself as a member of the Tahitian royal family and the representative of the Tahitian firm, Brander. With his assistance, the Germans were able to visit the Island and complete the ethnological research that had been requested.
The German archaeological excavation on Rapa Nui
In their reports, we can read that : “The inhabitants are of a Polynesian-Caucasian aspect, with no more than 150 persons living in Mataveri and 50 in Hanga Roa. The islanders are very self-assured, intelligent and clever, but it is notable that there is a total lack of independent political activity and no sense of respect for community authority, which is very common in Polynesia. The language is similar to that of Samoa, but with a less clear pronunciation. The hospitality is also less than in the rest of Polynesia and seems to be based on material interest. That can only be explained by the lack of resources among the Rapanui people. Among themselves, thievery is uncommon, almost shameful, but it’s totally different in dealings with Europeans.”
During their visit to the stone houses in Orongo where the men of the Bird-Man cult used to perform their rituals, Commander Geisler and his purser Weisser were able to see that inside the rooms, on the opposite wall to the door or on the ceiling, there were wall coverings made of slabs with paintings in earthen colors (red, black, and white). One of these slabs was 94 cm (37 in.) high, 34 cm (13.4 in.) wide at the top and 25 cm (10 in.) wide at the base. The designs represented a divine figure.
The Paintings Inside the Orongo Stone Houses
The slab alongside showed one of the first European ships which had been seen by the Islanders of the time. In general, the different slabs found represented European sailing ships, row boats, bird-men and ceremonial paddles with anthropomorphic features. According to their notes: “since the interior of the houses was cool, the painting on the slabs was damp and could be removed with a finger. This kept us from moving them as it would have inevitably destroyed them.”
The paintings were made with local mineral pigments: red from the iron oxide abundant in Rapa Nui’s volcanic soil, white from calcium carbonate, and black from charcoal. The Rapanui used these same techniques in ceremonial body decoration and in painting the moai before they were raised onto their platforms.
The ceremonial village of Orongo
For this reason, when Orongo was restored by Mulloy and the Rapanui archaeologist Rafael Rapu in 1974, many of the slabs were destroyed and others, which were able to be removed in relatively good condition, are now faded.Based on the Germans report, the Americans sent the USS Mohican, a warship which was anchored in Tahiti, in 1886 to do some research requested by the Smithonian Institution in Washington. They took back with them two slabs from Orongo and a lintel with petroglyphs, which were later returned to the Sebastian Englert Museum at the end of the 1970s.
Francisco Torres, the director of the local Museum, tells that “In 1980, these relics received a special preservation treatment, but we do not have the space or the technical conditions to exhibit them. Five remaining slabs are here; we suppose that they were removed during the restorations in 1974. There are three in excellent condition, but the others are faded because of the environment in the houses in Orongo. To date there has been no analysis made of the pigments, although they clearly used black, white and red colors. There was funding destined for an extension of the exhibition hall, but the project was cut off due to the recent problems of land ownership. The current government has promised to invest in a completely new Museum for Rapa Nui. The location is under study. The slab paintings from Orongo will be exhibited in the new museum.”
The iconographic meaning — ships, bird-men and Make-Make
The presence of European ships in the Orongo paintings is not coincidental. As described in the context of the Tangata Manu cult, the arrival of the first European vessels on the horizon of Rapa Nui was interpreted by the islanders as an event of divine nature: white men in ships with white sails capable of fire and thunder. That these ships appear painted alongside bird-men and ceremonial oars inside the most sacred houses on the island confirms they were fully integrated into the symbolic system of the cult.
The ceremonial oars — the Ao — are the insignia of power in Rapanui culture, the same symbol that gives its name to the ancestral trail Te Ara o te Ao (‘the road of power’). Their presence in the Orongo paintings alongside anthropomorphic figures suggests that these slabs formed part of a coherent iconographic programme, not an improvised decoration.
The Tangata Manu Bird-Man ritual | The cult of Make-Make and Polynesian gods
The Fate of the Slabs — Berlin and the Question of Repatriation
The painted slabs documented by Geisler were extracted from the Orongo houses and transported to Berlin as part of the mission commissioned by the Royal Museum. This is not an isolated case: the moai Hoa Haka Nana Ia was removed by the British Navy in 1868 and remains at the British Museum in London.
Geisler’s report, published in Berlin in 1883 under the title ‘Die Oster-Insel’ (Easter Island), is today a fundamental ethnological document for understanding the state of the island in the last third of the 19th century — when the Rapanui population had been devastated by slave raids and epidemics. His written and visual records preserved information that would otherwise have been lost forever.
The advances in the repatriation of Rapanui heritage
Frequently Asked Questions about the Orongo Rock Paintings
What are the Orongo stone slab paintings?
They are wall coverings found inside the basalt houses of Orongo, the Bird-Man ceremonial village on Rapa Nui. Stone slabs painted in red, white and black with mineral pigments, depicting divine figures, European ships, bird-men and ceremonial oars.
Who discovered the Orongo rock paintings?
They were first systematically documented by German Commander Geisler and his purser Weisser during the 1882 expedition of the gunboat ‘Hyäne’, sent by the Royal Museum of Berlin. Geisler published his findings in 1883 in the book ‘Die Oster-Insel’.
What do the Orongo slab paintings represent?
The paintings depict divine figures, European sailing ships, crew boats, bird-men and ceremonial oars (Ao). The combination of European ship imagery with sacred Rapanui iconography suggests that vessels were integrated into the symbolic system of the Tangata Manu Bird-Man cult after first contact.
Where are the Orongo painted slabs today?
The slabs documented by Geisler were extracted and transported to the Royal Museum of Berlin in 1882. The Rapa Nui community has in recent years pursued formal repatriation processes for cultural objects held in European museums.
Can you see the Orongo paintings today?
Access to the interior of the Orongo houses is restricted to protect the archaeological integrity of the site. Visitors can explore the ceremonial village and the Mata Ngarau petroglyphs from the designated trails of Rapa Nui National Park.
