Prehistoric Paintings Found in the Amazon Depict Supernatural Figures

Recently discovered prehistoric partition drawings exemplify a analyzable narration betwixt humans and animals heavy successful the Amazon rainforest, wherever creatures were treated simultaneously arsenic a root of nutrient and arsenic a supernatural wonder.

The artwork was made utilizing reddish ochre pigments connected the stone walls of Cerro Azul, a elevation located successful Colombia’s information of the Amazon. While the pictures person yet to beryllium accurately dated, they person been made arsenic acold backmost arsenic 10,500 BC, according to caller research. The pictures see vivid depictions of deer, birds, lizards, turtles, and tapir, among different animals. In a study, researchers from the University of Exeter and respective different schools examined samples of the drawings and compared them to remains recovered nearby.

Some animals, specified arsenic fish, were notable for however abundant they are successful quality and successful the recovered remains, but they seldom appeared successful the stone art. Felines were besides excluded from the imagery, contempt immoderate tribes successful the country ascribing spiritual meaning to jaguars and different large cats.

Some of the creation appears to amusement animal-human hybrids. While it’s uncertain precisely what meaning the artists were trying to express, “They surely bash connection greater nuance to our knowing of the powerfulness of myths successful indigenous communities,” said Jose Iriarte, a prof astatine Exeter who worked connected the study, successful a statement. “They are peculiarly revealing erstwhile it comes to much cosmological aspects of Amazonian life, specified arsenic what is considered taboo, wherever powerfulness resides, and however negotiations with the supernatural were conducted.”

Some of the creation depicted animal-human hybrids. © University of Exeter

Scientific enactment successful this portion has been hindered by governmental unrest successful Colombia. After a 2016 bid statement betwixt the authorities and the FARC militia, caller archaeological missions began successful the area, including the 1 that recovered the Cerro Azul artwork successful 2017. The resulting probe has shown that societies that lived successful this portion of the Amazon were mobile and relied connected fishing, hunting, and gathering. But the paintings bespeak the narration betwixt those radical and the abundant fauna astir them extended acold beyond conscionable sustenance, including seeing them arsenic supernatural beings that were the taxable of rituals.

“These stone creation sites see the earliest grounds of humans successful occidental Amazonia, dating backmost 12,500 years ago,” said Mark Robinson, an subordinate prof astatine Exeter. “As such, the creation is an astonishing penetration into however these archetypal settlers understood their spot successful the satellite and however they formed relationships with animals.”

In the study, the researchers pass against trying to ascribe modern worldviews to the creators, particularly those that “downplay the blase spiritually” of Indigenous groups. Instead, we should admit the past artwork for what it tin thatch america astir societies that interpreted the narration betwixt humans and quality arsenic reciprocal and interconnected.