“Down the God”on Pitcairn Island

“Down the God”on Pitcairn Island

Many people have read and seen pictures of the petroglyphs in the area of Pitcairn known as Down Rope.  Adventurous tourists climb down the cliff face to see them.  Less well known and less accessible are the petroglyphs ‘Down the God’.  The route down is not for the faint-hearted. 

Agility, strength and a good head for heights are the key factors needed for the descent and climb. 

The descent down is very steep

At the base of the cliff is an overhang.  The petroglyphs are carved into the rock.  Unfortunately in years gone by an islander chiseled the carvings out of the rock with a view to selling them.  When it was pointed out to him that this was not an acceptable thing to do, he returned to the site and cemented them back into place.  The cement can clearly be seen.

 

No one knows the meanings of the symbols which have been there since the times of early Polynesian settlement prior to the the arrival of Europeans