In a historic archeological discovery, tens-of-thousands of pristine cave-paintings have been found deep in the Amazon rainforest. The paintings cover an 8-mile stretch of rock in Colombia and are thought to have never before been seen by modern eyes. Some archaeologists have even dubbed the find 'The Sistine Chapel of the Ancients'.
The paintings, which are extremely detailed, are believed to be around 12,500 years old and include images of long-extinct animals such as woolly-mammoths and ancient horse species. While the discovery was made last year, it is only now that it is being revealed to the public. This is because those that discovered the site wished to keep it secret from thieves and from tourists who could have caused damage to the ancient paintings.
The find will now be featured in an amazing new documentary called, 'Jungle Mystery: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon'.
It is thought that the paintings were made by paleolithic people who made their way into the Americas from Asia tens-of-thousands of years ago. Other characters and animals depicted include ancient birds, hallucinogenic plants, and mystical masked figures.
Jose Iriarte, a Professor of archaeology at Exeter University, who was involved in the discovery, told reporters:
"When you're there, your emotions flow… We're talking about several tens of thousands of paintings. It's going to take generations to record them … Every turn you do, it's a new wall of paintings."
Referencing the images, Iriate said:
"For Amazonian people, non-humans like animals and plants have souls, and they communicate and engage with people in cooperative or hostile ways through the rituals and shamanic practices that we see depicted in the rock art."
The paintings, which lie within Chiribiquete National Park in the south of the country, are thought to have lain undiscovered primarily because of their remote location and because of the dense forest that surrounds them. Another reason is because the area has for decades been held by anti-government paramilitary organisations such as the FARC. Therefore, few people or government authorities have entered the area, and certainly not to seek out signs of ancient civilisations.
Archaeologist, Ella Al-Shamahi, who will present the new documentary, said that it is important to realise that even with all our modern technology and knowledge, so much of the ancient world is still hidden just waiting to be found. They said:
"When we entered FARC territory, it was exactly as a few of us have been screaming about for a long time. Exploration is not over. Scientific discovery is not over but the big discoveries now are going to be found in places that are disputed or hostile."
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