Researchers discovered a place in a rural property in the Sousa region in Brazil that could be a site for archaeologists and paleontologists. In the area, they found dinosaur fossils and prehistoric rock art.
Dinosaur Footprint and Ancient Rock Art Discovered in Brazil
A new study described Serrote do Letreiro Site, a rural property in the Sousa municipality of Paraíba state, northeastern Brazil. With three huge rock outcrops spanning over 160,000 square feet, the site is distinguished by an "outstanding juxtaposition" of archaeological and paleontological features.
These features include many petroglyphs, a form of rock engraving made by chiseling portions of the surface, and the footprints of numerous dinosaurs, dating back around 140 million years to the Lower Cretaceous period.
"The main discovery [of the study] is that the site brings together petroglyphs [rock art] and dinosaur fossils like no other archaeological or paleontological site in the world," said Leonardo Troiano, an archaeologist with Brazil's National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) and lead author of the study. "Although there are occurrences of fossils and rock art nearby, a site where they are literally side by side has never been described."
Previous researchers did not consider the relationship between the rock arts and dinosaur footprints. Troiano and his colleagues surveyed the Serrote do Letreiro site and used drones to take aerial photos of the area to understand more about it.
The research found more dinosaur footprints and numerous petroglyphs, and there was a strong association between the two. Troiano said they were the first to notice the close connection between the footprints and the petroglyphs.
They concluded that, given its vulnerability and location in a mining-heavy area, it was necessary to disclose the site or risk its destruction.
The Sousa region's condition preserved the footprints but not the bones. As a result, while many fossilized footprints have been discovered in the area, comparatively few dinosaur bones have been preserved.
Because of this, it is challenging to identify the precise dinosaur species that left the imprints. According to the experts, however, they depict ornithopod, theropod, and sauropod dinosaurs.
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What Are Petroglyphs For?
Petroglyphs are art or paintings physically carved into the rock using a stone chisel and hammerstone. They were formed when the lighter rock underneath was revealed by the chipping off of the desert varnish, often known as patina.
According to archaeologists' estimates, over 25,000 petroglyph pictures may exist along the 17 miles of escarpment that form the monument's perimeter.
Ninety percent of the petroglyphs at the monument are thought to have been made by the Pueblo people's ancestors. Before 500 A.D., Puebloans resided in the Rio Grande Valley; nevertheless, a population boom around 1300 A.D. resulted in many new villages. Most petroglyphs are thought to have been carved between roughly 1300 and the late 1680s.
Petroglyphs are not merely picture writing, "rock art," or replicas of the natural world. They are potent cultural icons that capture the intricate social structures and diverse religious practices of the neighboring tribes.
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