BRAZIL – An archaeologist was pictured on Saturday measuring rock paintings at the Ponta das Lajes archaeological site in the rural area of Manaus, Brazil. The site was exposed after the Negro River reached historic lows, revealing millennia-old carvings previously hidden below water.
The engravings, deeply carved into rocks along the riverbanks, represent human faces, animals and other figures, and are 1,000 to 2,000 years old, according to archaeologists. The scientists think other rocks at the site were used by indigenous people to sharpen arrows and stone tools.
Archaeologists and residents gather around rock paintings at the Ponta das Lajes archaeological site, in the rural area of Manaus, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. The archaeological site was exposed following a drought in the Negro River, unveiling rock paintings that, according to archaeologists, date back between 1,000 and 2,000 years. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)Archaeologist Jaime Oliveira sits next to rock paintings at the Ponta das Lajes archaeological site, in the rural area of Manaus, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. The archaeological site was exposed following a drought in the Negro River, unveiling rock paintings that, according to archaeologists, date back between 1,000 and 2,000 years. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)An archaeologist measures rock paintings at the Ponta das Lajes archaeological site, in the rural area of Manaus, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. The archaeological site was exposed following a drought in the Negro River, unveiling rock paintings that, according to archaeologists, date back between 1,000 and 2,000 years. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)
