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Due to the drought, 2000-year-old rock paintings "floated" out from under the water of the Amazon (photo)

Bylim Olena

Due to the drought, 2000-year-old rock paintings 'floated' out from under the water of the Amazon (photo)
Drought in Brazil. Source: REUTERS

The carved rocks were exposed during the worst drought on record Photo: REUTERS Due to the extreme drought in Brazil, river levels have fallen to record lows. In the Amazon, rock carvings carved 2000 years ago have risen to the surface due to lower water levels.

According to BBC News, the low water level allowed scientists to discover previously unseen carvings. The researchers are intrigued by the new type of drawings, which made it clear their origin.

Read also: In Britain, archaeologists have proved that women hunted on an equal footing with men in ancient times

The petroglyphs found at the archaeological site of Ponto das Lajes, or Place of the Slabs, appear to have been created by indigenous people before contact with European explorers.

Ponto das Lajes is located on the north bank of the Amazon, near the confluence of the Rio Negro and Solimões rivers.

Carved rocks exposed during the worst drought on record. Source: REUTERS
Carved rocks exposed during the worst drought on record. Source: REUTERS
Carved rocks exposed during the worst of the drought. Source: REUTERS
Carved rocks exposed during the worst of the drought. Source: REUTERS
Carved rocks exposed during the worst drought on record. Source: REUTERS
Carved rocks exposed during the worst drought on record. Source: REUTERS
Carved rocks exposed during the worst drought on record. Source: REUTERS
Carved rocks exposed during the worst drought on record. Source: REUTERS

Archaeologist Jaime Oliveiro noted: "These engravings are prehistoric or pre-colonial. We can't date them precisely, but based on the evidence of human settlement in this area, we believe they are approximately 1000 to 2000 years old. Here we see images of anthropomorphic figures."

According to him, the carvings were first seen there in 2010, but this year's drought was more severe, when the Rio Negro dropped by 15 meters, exposing vast expanses of rock and sand where there were no beaches before.

"This time we found not just more carvings, but also a sculpture of a human face carved into the rock," Oliveira added.

As a reminder, the remains of a man with a tattoo of Jesus Christ were found in a tomb in Sudan.

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