Scientists have unearthed ancient artwork decorating rocks at 16 sites nestled within Brazil’s verdant landscape.
The engravings and paintings offer a glimpse into the beliefs and customs of the civilizations that occupied the state of Tocantins at least 2,000 years ago, Knewz.com has learned.
The sites stretch across expanses of rock in Jalapão, a remote area of Brazil’s tropical Cerrado region, where investigations into the discoveries were conducted between 2022 and 2023.
“Among the symbols engraved and painted on the rocks, human footprints stand out, footprints of animals such as deer and wild pigs, and figures that resemble celestial bodies,” Rômulo Macedo, the lead archaeologist on the research, said in a statement from Brazil’s National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN) released earlier this month, when translated to English.
Macedo also told Newsweek the finds appear to be linked by more than just their locations.
“What connects these sites is the recurrence of the symbols represented, demonstrating that the creators of the rock records, especially the engravings, shared the same belief system,” he said.
However, because the identities of the artists are unknown, historians are left to speculate as to the motivations behind the creations. Some possible interpretations, according to Macêdo, are that the works were meant to record the passage of time, communicate with spirits, tell mythical stories or mark territory.
The use of red pigments in some of the smaller paintings hints at a separate cultural lineage, possibly predating the engravings.
“Recent discoveries of archaeological sites, in addition to helping to fill a void of knowledge we had of that vast area, show that the presence of human groups in the region dates back thousands of years,” Macêdo said.
The artworks are situated within an archaeological complex that was occupied by humans as far back as 12,000 years ago — predating the arrival of European colonizers.
“Although there is evidence of humans occupying Jalapão as far back as 12,000 years, little is known about such groups prior to their contact with Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries,” Reporter Richard Whiddington wrote in an Artnet article. “It is likely, however, that they were drawn to the Cerrado’s rich biome, the eco-region still the most biodiverse savanna in the world.”
Macêdo said more work needs to be done to further explore the questions raised by the discoveries.
“With the expansion of infrastructure works in the Amazon states, Tocantins is experiencing a significant increase in archaeological research carried out within the scope of environmental licensing, which has made it possible to collect data on areas previously unknown archaeologically,” the IPHAN release said. “However, the archaeologist highlights that this cultural asset has been threatened by several factors.”
The sites are threatened by wind erosion, vandalism, forest fires and deforestation.
“To minimize these impacts, Iphan initiated conservation and heritage education actions in the region, aiming to protect and promote this Brazilian cultural heritage,” the institute said.
The post 2,000-Year-Old Rock Artwork Found in Brazil Across 16 Biodiverse Sites Depicts Animal Symbols, ‘Celestial Bodies’ appeared first on Knewz.
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Author: Marissa Papanek
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