8 Miles Of Prehistoric Paintings Is Discovered In Remote Amazonia And It Showcases Animals That Are Long Gone By Now
When it feels like we know the world around us all too well, and there are few things that can surprise us, the wonders of history and nature prove us wrong. Just recently, the British-Colombian team of archaeologists led by José Iriarte announced the bombshell news.
Tens of thousands of cave paintings created up to 12,500 years ago were discovered in Serranía La Lindosa, in the remote Amazon rainforest. Painted across a cliff, the rock art stretches to nearly 8 miles.
According to the statement, these are drawings of deer, tapirs, alligators, bats, monkeys, turtles, serpents, and porcupines, as well as Ice Age megafauna. Among depictions, you see mastodons, camelids, ungulates with trunks, and giant sloths, and they represent the native animals that have gone extinct.
Dr. Mark Robinson of the University of Exeter, who was part of the research team, stated: “These really are incredible images, produced by the earliest people to live in western Amazonia. It is unbelievable to us today to think they lived among, and hunted, giant herbivores, some which were the size of a small car.” Let that sink in for a bit, and scroll for the breathtaking images below.
The ancient rock art that stretches across an 8-mile wall was discovered in the Amazon rainforest
Image credits: channel 4
Image credits: gipri
Image credits: gipri
The site hailed as “the Sistine Chapel of the ancients” was discovered last year, but has since been kept secret. It was initially filmed for the Channel 4 series “Jungle Mystery: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon” that will be screened in December. The documentary’s presenter Ella Al-Shamahi said that “The new site is so new, they haven’t even given it a name yet.”
Scientists say the paintings were made around 11,800 to 12,500 years ago
Image credits: gipri
Image credits: gipri
Image credits: gipri
The site was discovered by an international team of British and Colombian researchers. José Iriarte, professor of archaeology at Exeter University and expert on Amazon and pre-Colombian history, commented on the discovery: “When you’re there, your emotions flow … We’re talking about several tens of thousands of paintings. It’s going to take generations to record them … Every turn you do, it’s a new wall of paintings.”
There are drawings of deer, tapirs, alligators, bats, monkeys, turtles, serpents, and porcupines, as well as what appears to be Ice Age megafauna
Image credits: gipri
Image credits: gipri
Image credits: gipri
Remarkably, all the paintings turned out to be well-preserved and incredibly detailed. “The pictures are so natural and so well-made that we have few doubts that you’re looking at a horse, for example. The ice-age horse had a wild, heavy face. It’s so detailed, we can even see the horse hair. It’s fascinating.”
Iriarte also said in a statement that this ancient art serves as spectacular evidence of how humans reconstructed the land, how they lived there, hunted, farmed, and fished. “It is likely art was a powerful part of culture and a way for people to connect socially. The pictures show how people would have lived amongst giant, now extinct, animals, which they hunted,” he concluded.
Although the discovery was made about a year ago, the drawings were first unveiled for an upcoming documentary series by Channel 4
Image credits: gipri
Image credits: gipri
Image credits: gipri
Image credits: gipri
Image credits: gipri
Image credits: gipri
I just hope some idiot won't visit it and write his name there. It has happened before.
You know there will be plenty to try it unfortunately. But at least it's in a remote area and not that easy to visit.
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Whoa, that's awesome! Hope the researchers and authorities will do their best to keep the site preserved for the next generations. Also I'm curious of what kind of dye they used to persist that long time...
I wondered the same thing. Being exposed to the elements especially. Something here doesn't smell right to me.
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And now keep the exact location a secret and post some armed guards with a license to shoot on sight. Because the Kyles and Chads are already packing up to paint their tag on this work of art.
Amazing that the colour held up so well even though it's out in the open and exposed to the elements.
This is fascinating news. Here is an article on it https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/nov/29/sistine-chapel-of-the-ancients-rock-art-discovered-in-remote-amazon-forest and another one here https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/20/colombia-wilderness-film-maker-prehistoric-rock-art
... and here is a video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MyQYVLwY5s
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Interesting. I wonder what was used to make the drawings. 11,000-12,000 years is a long time, especially in a tropical rain forest.
Oh hell yeah I love stuff like this!! Now I can’t wait for the documentary!
In Mantas preamble he points out how many people think they know the world, but don't. Approximately 95% of our oceans, most of the Amazonas, huge parts of Canada and
Beautiful. Do they say how the drawings were done? I mean with paint or?
I just hope some idiot won't visit it and write his name there. It has happened before.
You know there will be plenty to try it unfortunately. But at least it's in a remote area and not that easy to visit.
Load More Replies... Whoa, that's awesome! Hope the researchers and authorities will do their best to keep the site preserved for the next generations. Also I'm curious of what kind of dye they used to persist that long time...
I wondered the same thing. Being exposed to the elements especially. Something here doesn't smell right to me.
Load More Replies... And now keep the exact location a secret and post some armed guards with a license to shoot on sight. Because the Kyles and Chads are already packing up to paint their tag on this work of art.
Amazing that the colour held up so well even though it's out in the open and exposed to the elements.
This is fascinating news. Here is an article on it https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/nov/29/sistine-chapel-of-the-ancients-rock-art-discovered-in-remote-amazon-forest and another one here https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/20/colombia-wilderness-film-maker-prehistoric-rock-art
... and here is a video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MyQYVLwY5s
Load More Replies... Interesting. I wonder what was used to make the drawings. 11,000-12,000 years is a long time, especially in a tropical rain forest.
Oh hell yeah I love stuff like this!! Now I can’t wait for the documentary!
In Mantas preamble he points out how many people think they know the world, but don't. Approximately 95% of our oceans, most of the Amazonas, huge parts of Canada and
Beautiful. Do they say how the drawings were done? I mean with paint or?
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