Stunning Discovery: Unveiling Ancient Face Carvings as Amazon Water Levels Plummet to Unprecedented Depths
Remarkable ancient stone carvings, dating back 2,000 years, have emerged along the Amazon River due to an unprecedented drought, revealing intricate human faces etched into the rocks, presenting a stunning glimpse into the region's rich historical past
Archaeologist Jaime de Santana Oliveira stated on Monday that since the water levels in the Amazon River dropped to record lows during the region's worst drought in over a hundred years, human faces sculpted in stone up to 2,000 years ago have emerged on a rocky outcropping. While some rock carvings were previously spotted, the recent discovery of a greater variety of carvings will aid researchers in determining their origins.
The ancient stone carvings were exposed when the Amazon's water level dropped during a drought in Manaus, Amazonas state.
Suamy Beydoun/Reuters
One area shows smooth grooves in the rock thought to be where Indigenous inhabitants once sharpened their arrows and spears long before Europeans arrived.
"The engravings, as depicted in
Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM) archaeologist Jaime de Santana Oliveira points to one ancient stone carving.
Suamy Beydoun/Reuters
The rocky point on the north shore of the Amazon, known as Ponto das Lajes, is located near the confluence of the Rio Negro and Solimões rivers.
According to Oliveira, the carvings were initially discovered in 2010. However, this year's drought has been exceptionally severe, causing the Rio Negro water level to decrease by 15 meters (49.2 feet) since July. As a result, previously hidden areas of rocks and sand have been exposed, revealing extensive beach-like formations.
The rocky point is where two rivers - the Rio Negro and Solimões - meet.
Oliveira, an employee of the National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN), stated, "On this occasion, we discovered not only additional carvings but also a remarkable sculpture of a human face carved into the rock."
