Scientists have revealed intriguing new discoveries about the planet’s biggest stone carvings, suggesting that these markings might have served as indicators of territory borders.
The pre-Hispanic (or pre-Columbian) carvings, whose exact age remains uncertain but might date back to prehistoric times, can be seen on rocks alongside the Upper and Middle sections of the Orinoco River in both Venezuela and Colombia.
Starting from 2015, a study led by José Oliver under the auspices of the University College London Institute of Archaeology has aimed at unraveling the pre-Columbian inhabitation and past of the area.
According to Philip Riris from Bournemouth University in the UK, who is one of the archaeologists working on this initiative, researchers have compiled an extensive database encompassing over 100 rock art sites within the area. This compilation includes both previously documented locations as well as newly discovered ones, totaling numerous individual designs.
"As for rock art, we believe this is merely scratching the surface," he stated. Pawonation.com Sites may consist of a single painting or engraving, or they could include hundreds of such motifs—there is considerable diversity among them.
A study released on Monday in the journal Antiquity Riris, Oliver, along with their collaborator Natalia Lozada Mendieta from the University of the Andes in Colombia, sought to comprehend how monumental rock art was integrated into the cultural landscape of the Middle Orinoco River region.
In their research, the group documented over a dozen 'monumental' rock art locations using drone imagery and additional methods. These sites are considered monumental because they hold significant positions within the terrain and showcase specific oversized designs. While some of these places had been previously identified, the researchers also uncovered multiple new examples.
These locations house some of the biggest monumental stone carvings globally, featuring designs that extend over 130 feet in length.
The carvings feature images of humans alongside gigantic Amazonian centipedes. A significant number portray large snakes, potentially boa constrictors or anacondas, which hold considerable significance in the spiritual practices of the area’s native communities.
The biggest among all engravings is a snake carving found at Cerro Pintado in Venezuela, stretching approximately 141 feet long (scientists were already aware of this particular instance). The research group thinks it might be the most extensive solitary rock engraving ever documented globally.
"These significant locations are indeed large, awe-inspiring sites that we think were intended to be visible from afar," Riris stated in a press release.
We understand that both anacondas and boas are linked to the creator deity of certain indigenous communities in the area, and they are also viewed as dangerous entities capable of killing humans and sizable creatures.
The researchers suggest in their study that these significant stone carvings might have served ancient Pre-Columbian communities as markers for defining territory borders.
Riris explained that we view the massive rock carvings as a distinctive form of engraving that probably developed due to significant interactions and exchanges among various Indigenous communities during the pre-Columbian era. Pawonation.com .
Their presence might have served as indicators of one’s identity or territory, or even both at once; thus, they could have been communicating either that intruders were stepping into someone else’s space or that visitors were part of a familiar group.
The researchers believe that the engravings were probably meant to convey messages to a broad audience encompassing various cultural origins.
"Snakes are typically seen as quite menacing, so the location of the rock art might indicate that these are areas where you should be on your best behavior," Riris stated in the release.
According to Riris, the biggest among the massive stone carvings documented by the researchers—which span between 65 feet to 141 feet in length—are unmatched worldwide when it comes to their scale. Additionally, both the dimensions of these large specimens and the high concentration and quantity of engravings found in this area contribute to making Orinoco rock art an unparalleled occurrence from a scholarly perspective.
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