The largest prehistoric rock paintings in the world have probably been discovered in South America. The carvings, several tens of meters long, carved into rock walls along the Upper and Middle Orinoco Rivers in Venezuela and Colombia, are said to depict a giant snake.
Other so-called petroglyphs – rock carvings carved into stone from prehistoric times – show human figures and enormous Amazon centipedes.
The largest engraving measures over 40 meters, reports the research team from Bournemouth University, University College London and the Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) in the journal Antiquity.
“These monumental sites are truly large and impressive, and we believe they were intended to be seen from a distance,” said Philip Riris, lead author and lecturer in archaeological environmental modeling at Bournemouth University.
Probably more than 2000 years old
Prehistoric groups may have used the carvings “to mark their territory and let people know that they live here and that appropriate behavior is expected.” The petroglyphs, some of which were already known, could have been created up to 2,000 years ago, but could also be older.
Warning in snake form
Many of the largest carvings depict snakes, which researchers believe are likely king boas or anacondas, which played an important role in the myths and beliefs of the local indigenous people. “Snakes are generally perceived as very threatening, so the location of the petroglyphs could be a signal that people should behave in these places.”
Source: Krone
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