Ana Kai Tangata, Volcanic sea cave near Mataveri, Easter Island, Chile

Ana Kai Tangata is a sea cave of eroded volcanic rock near Mataveri, opening directly onto the incoming surf. It is 10 meters high, 5 meters wide and 15 meters deep, its floor covered with irregular boulders and its ceiling domed, with good acoustic properties. It sits above the high tide line, so it can be entered.

Ana Kai Tangata is a sea cave of volcanic rock eroded by the ocean, above the high tide line near Mataveri. Its red, white and black paintings show sooty terns (manutara), sacred to the Tangata manu birdman cult, alongside Polynesian canoes and European ships. Pigments came from plants and minerals of the Ahu Vinapu area mixed with shark oil; a taheta basin in the cave may have served to prepare them.

The ceiling paintings, in red, white and black, show the manutara or sooty tern, a bird sacred to followers of the Tangata manu cult. They also depict Polynesian canoes and European ships, which islanders may have seen as messengers from another world. The pigments came from plants and minerals of the Ahu Vinapu area mixed with shark oil, and a taheta basin cut into the rock may have served to prepare the colours.

Access to the site requires descending carved stone stairs that demand careful footing and steady balance. Watch for loose rock and slippery surfaces, as water and weathering make the approach challenging in certain conditions.

American archaeologist Georgia Lee proposed that the name means "cave where men eat", "cave where men are eaten" or "cave that eats men". Legends tell of a battle whose defeated fled into caverns, where the victors captured and ate them; animal and human bones, needles made from human bone and a carved ceremonial skull were reportedly found in the cave.