November 14th, 2010
Source: Car Rentals
A recent drought in the Brazilian Amazon has uncovered a group of underwater etchings believed to date back around 7,000 years. They were found close to the city of Manaus.
The images, which are engraved on rocks, were discovered after a drought caused the Rio Negro to fall to the lowest level seen in over 100 years. Allegedly the ancient drawings were found by fishermen working in the area.
The drought left thousands of forest dwellers stranded as the waterways turned into dry, sandbanks. Water levels appear to be rising again, covering the Stone Age etchings, photographs were taken by local researchers before they disappeared back under the river’s waters.
It is believed that the artwork, which depicts images of faces and snakes shows that thousands of years ago it is likely that the Amazon was once home to civilizations of hundreds of people.
President of the Brazilian Society of Archaeology Eduardo Neves, has said that the drawings were likely to have been etched between 3,000 and 7,000 years ago. He added that the etchings provided undeniable evidence that the Amazon was once occupied by ancient settlements and communities.
Neves said that he hoped that the findings would mean an increase in efforts to preserve the rainforest.