2023-10-28 23:03:04
MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — The Negro River, the main tributary that crosses the Brazilian Amazon, has reached historic lows, revealing ancient carvings previously hidden underwater.
The carvings deeply carved into the black rock of the river banks depict human faces, animals and other figures, and are believed to be between 1,000 and 2,000 years old, archaeologists said.
“They allow us to understand the way of life of prehistoric populations,” declared Jaime de Santana Oliveira, archaeologist at the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage of Brazil.
Scientists believe that other rocks at the site were used to sharpen arrows and stone tools.
The archaeological site of Ponto das Lajes is located in the rural area of Manaus, the most populated city and capital of the state of Amazonas. From there, locals and tourists can observe the “Meeting of the Waters,” which occurs when the dark, Coca-Cola-colored Negro River and the pale, clay-colored Solimoes River converge without merging and run parallel along of several kilometers.
The petroglyphs were first detected in 2010, when another severe drought hit the region, but had not been seen since, before the current drought.
Low river levels in the Amazon have turned previously navigable rivers into endless banks of sand and mud, leaving hundreds of communities isolated. In recent weeks, authorities have struggled to bring food and water to those communities.
Earlier this week, The Associated Press observed the delivery of essential goods. Boats had to dock miles away, forcing residents, mostly small farmers and fishermen, to walk long distances.
In Manaus and other nearby cities, high temperatures and a lot of smoke are recorded due to fires caused by deforestation and clearing of pastures. Drought is also the likely cause of the deaths of dozens of river dolphins in Lake Tefe, near the Amazon River.
Drought periods are part of the cyclical climate pattern of the Amazon, normally from May to October. This season’s drought has been more intense than usual due to two climatic phenomena: The warming of the northern tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean and El Niño, the warming of the surface waters of the equatorial Pacific region.
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