+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

A drought in the Amazon uncovered ancient, eerie face carvings that look like emojis

Oct 24, 2023, 18:04 IST
Business Insider
Three pictures side-by-side show ancient engravings found under the Negro river in Manaus, Brazil.Michael Dantas/AFP via Getty Images/Insider
  • A drought in an Amazon river has revealed prehistoric carvings reminiscent of modern emojis.
  • The carvings represent faces smiling or scowling.
Advertisement

A drought in the Amazon has revealed prehistoric carvings of faces that show a variety of expressions, from smiling to scowling, just like today's emojis.

The faces, seen on several rocks in Manaus, Brazil, are thought to have been submerged by a river for up to 2,000 years.

A picture shows a rock uncovered by the Amazon drought in the Lajes archaeological site on October 21, 2023.MICHAEL DANTAS/AFP via Getty Images.

It's not clear who would have made these engravings, but scientists think they are linked to indigenous cultures who lived in the area in pre-Columbian times.

"The engravings are prehistoric, or precolonial. We cannot date them exactly, but based on evidence of human occupation of the area, we believe they are about 1,000 to 2,000 years old," archaeologist Jaime Oliveira of the Brazilian Institute of Historical Heritage, told Reuters Monday.

"The site expresses emotions, feelings, it is an engraved rock record, but it has something in common with current works of art," said Oliveira, per Agence France Presse (AFP).

Advertisement

An engraving on the rock found at Lajes archaeological site is show pictured here on October 21, 2023.MICHAEL DANTAS/AFP/Getty Images.

Rock carvings had been spotted before at the site, notably during another drought in 2010. One area at the site appeared to show grooves in the rock used by indigenous populations to sharpen their spear, per Reuters.

But archaeologists had never before spotted the mysterious faces, Oliveira told Reuters Monday.

Archaeologist Jaime de Oliveira points at an engraving of a face at the Lajes archaeological site on October 21.MICHAEL DANTAS/AFP via Getty Images

The engravings are an "inestimable" find when it comes to understanding these prehistoric populations, Beatriz Carneiro, historian and member of Iphan, Praia das Lajes, told AFP.

"Unhappily it is now reappearing with the worsening of the drought," Carneiro said.

The drought could also threaten the conservation of the Lajes site, per Carneiro, AFP reported.

Advertisement

The river Negro dropped by about 49.2 feet since July, according to Reuters. The river recorded its lowest flow in 121 years last week, AFP reported. Amazon rivers are crucial waterways in the area, and the drought has caused issues with supplies and transportation, the report added.

"We come, we look at (the engravings) and we think they are beautiful. But at the same time, it is worrying... I also think about whether this river will exist in 50 or 100 years," Ribeiro said.

You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article