[ad_1]
The history of art
#Amazonia #caves #Columbia
December 2, 2020
Grace Ebert
All images via Marie-Claire Thomas / Wild Blue Media / Channel 4
Archaeologists have uncovered a huge collection of prehistoric art that spans an almost eight mile long cliff in the Amazon rainforest. Now nicknamed the “Sistine Chapel of the Ancients”, tens of thousands of paintings depict humans and animals such as sloths, horses and the now extinct paleolama and mastodon. These latter creatures have not occupied parts of South America for nearly 12,000 years, which has provided the Anglo-Colombian archaeological team with a chronology of the origins of the works of art.
Although the finds were discovered last year, they have been kept private as they will be shown as part of a Channel 4 documentary titled Mystery of the Jungle: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon, which airs this month. Archaeologist Ella Al-Shamahi, who directs the television series, said The Guardian that the site, which is located in the Serranía de la Lindosa, required a two-hour drive from San José del Guaviare and an additional four-hour trek on foot to reach. “When we entered Farc territory, it was just like a few of us had been screaming for a long time,” Al-Shamahi said. “The exploration is not over. The scientific discovery is not over, but the great discoveries will now be found in contested or hostile places, ”noting that Colombia has been ravaged by a civil war for decades.
Due to the sheer scale of the paintings – some are so high on the cliff top that they can only be studied with drones – researchers believe the results will take generations to study. So far, however, they have found traces of ocher pigments, in addition to renderings of hallucinogenic plants and depictions of people who appear to be bungee jumping.
#Amazonia #caves #Columbia
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a colossal member and support independent artistic publishing. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about contemporary art, help support our interview series, gain access to partner discounts and more. Join now!
[ad_2]
Source link