Prehistoric engravings are exposed due to drought in Amazonas – 10/23/2023 – Science

Stones dating back up to 2,000 years ago with carved human faces can be seen on a rocky outcrop along the Amazon River since water levels fell to record lows in the region’s worst drought in more than a century.

Some rock carvings had already been seen before, but now there is a greater variety that will help researchers establish their origins, said archaeologist Jaime de Santana Oliveira this Monday (23).

One area shows smooth carvings in the rock that are believed to be where indigenous inhabitants sharpened arrows and spears long before Europeans arrived.

“The engravings are prehistoric, or pre-colonial. We cannot date them exactly, but based on evidence of human occupation of the area, we believe they are around 1,000 to 2,000 years old,” Oliveira said in an interview.

The rocky point is called Ponto das Lajes, on the north coast of Amazonas, near the confluence of the Rio Negro and Solimões rivers.

Oliveira said the carvings were first spotted in 2010, but this year’s drought has been more severe, with the level of the Rio Negro dropping 15 meters since July, exposing vast expanses of rocks and sand where there were no beaches.

“This time we found not only more engravings, but the carving of a human face carved into the rock,” said Oliveira, who works at the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan), which oversees the preservation of historic sites.