In the midst of Brazil’s lush Jalapão region, archaeologists have made an astonishing discovery that connects the dots between spirituality, celestial observation, and ancient artistic expression. Amidst the state park’s giant rock formations and rivers, which themselves stand out in the unique tropical savanna of the Cerrado biome, known for its biodiversity, there lies a treasure of human history etched into the cliffs: rock carvings dating back two millennia.
These engravings and paintings, newly unearthed, depict an array of subjects from human footprints to wild pigs and, perhaps most intriguingly, figures resembling celestial bodies. The 16 sites, identified during expeditions between 2022 and 2023, offer a rare glimpse into the spiritual and symbolic world of the region’s precolonial inhabitants.
Archaeologist Rômulo Macedo, who led the investigation, articulated the significance of these findings in a statement quoted by news outlets: “What connects these sites is the recurrence of the symbols represented, demonstrating that the creators of the rock records, especially the engravings, shared the same belief system.” This revelation provides a tantalizing hint at the shared cosmology of ancient cultures that have long since vanished, leaving behind only these enigmatic stone canvases as a portal into their worldview.
The carved symbols, predominantly created by wearing down the rock, may have served a multitude of purposes, from recording the passage of time to myth depiction, communicating with spirits, or territorial demarcation. Macedo suggests that the smaller artworks painted with red pigments might be the work of a different cultural group, possibly predating the engravings.
These expressions of a bygone era are not just remarkable in their own right but also because they fill a void in the archaeological record of the area. Until now, only stone artifacts had been unearthed, leaving us with a fragmented understanding of the precolonial people’s lives.
As Marcos Zimmermann, an archaeology professor at the Federal University of Tocantins, noted in a statement to the press, “The engravings were probably made using pointed stones and pieces of wood, while the painting pigments were produced from the pulverization of iron minerals very abundant in the region; the powder was then mixed with animal or vegetal fat and applied to the rock using fingers or sticks.”
The discovery’s importance is underscored by the potential threats to Jalapão State Park. Challenges like wind erosion, vandalism, forest fires, and deforestation loom over these historic sites. According to the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN), actions have been initiated to conserve these cultural treasures and educate the public about the significance of this heritage. Nonetheless, between 2002 and 2022, Tocantins lost 19 percent of its humid primary forest, a concerning statistic that highlights the urgency of protecting such archaeological sites.
Macedo emphasizes the potential of future studies: “Further analysis of rock art and archaeological excavations at the sites will provide new information about the way of life and spirituality of these Indigenous groups.” Each stroke of these carvings could indeed be a thread in the larger tapestry of human history, connecting the earthly to the divine, and the ancient to the present.
Relevant articles:
– Archaeologists Discover 2,000-Year-Old Rock Art in Brazil, Smithsonian Magazine
– 2,000-year-old carvings of celestial bodies and animals discovered on rocky cliffs in Brazil, Live Science
– Lost carvings of ‘celestial bodies’ found on rocky cliffs after 2,000 years as experts say they have ‘important’ meaning, The US Sun