2,000-Year-Old Rock Carvings With Depictions of Human Footprints, Animal Representations, Celestial-Body-Like Figures Found in Brazil Cliffs

Archaeologists from Brazil were able to find several 2,000-year-old rock carvings with depictions of animal representations, celestial-body-like figures, and human footprints.

2,000-Year-Old Rock Carvings

These novel rock carving discovery was yielded through three different expeditions that took place between 2022 and 2023. These were done in Tocatins' Jalapão State Park. Researchers from the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) of Brazil were able to identify 16 archaeological sites from the precolonial era. All sites were located on rock cliffs that were found to be close to each other.

Archaeologist Romulo Macedo, who was the leader of the project, explains that the proximity implies a possible link between the different areas. Such proximity also clarifies the patterns of settlement of the ancient communities that used to live in the area.

The researchers also found some red paintings in some sites. Macedo explains that the paintings could be older than the engravings and that a different cultural group could have made such paintings.

The discovery of the rock art is considered important and rare since, until now, only stone artifacts from the pre colonial indigenous individuals of the state park have been found.

Macedo explains that engravings could have been made through the use of pointed stone and wood pieces. On the other hand, the pigments for the paintings could have been produced from iron mineral pulverization. Such powders could have been mixed with vegetal or animal fat and applied to the rock surface with sticks or fingers.

Among the engraved and painted symbols, human footprints, animal prints (such as those of wild pigs and deer), and celestial-body-like figures stand out.

The discovery needs to be studied further. Nevertheless, the findings exhibit thematic and technical similarities with other archaeological sites across various Brazilian states. This suggests that the rock art is from roughly 2,000 years ago.

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Jalapão State Park

Jalapão State Park covers roughly 34,000 square kilometers and is an arid region filled with massive rock formations, rivers, and dunes. Such features make it stand out from the Cerrado biome, a distinct tropical savanna that is known for its own biodiversity, that surrounds it.

However, archaeological efforts at Jalapão have not been enough and have been mainly focusing on salvage archaeology efforts prompted by infrastructural or agricultural developments. There have been areas in the states that have yielded discoveries, such as arrowheads and ceramics, that date back from between 425 to 12,000 years ago.

Though such discoveries boast of great significance, the park is threatened by various things, such as deforestation, vandalism, and erosion.

IPHAN has revealed its plans to work with research institutions to come up with projects to disseminate and preserve the archaeological heritage of the region.