A ceremonial village of 48 stone houses with corbelled roofs on the rim of Rano Kau volcanic crater on Easter Island. Famous as the gathering-place for the annual 'birdman' ceremony which took place on the island, the Orongo village was probably built in the 16th century AD and the ceremony itself continued until c1878. Adjacent to the village are rock carvings (petroglyphs) of birdmen holding eggs. The corbelled houses are unique in Oceania and South American parallels have been claimed for them.