Current:Home > NewsSevere drought in the Amazon reveals millennia-old carvings-InfoLens
Severe drought in the Amazon reveals millennia-old carvings
View Date:2024-12-23 11:15:04
MANAUS (AP) — The Negro River, the major tributary that runs through the Brazilian Amazon, has reached historic lows, revealing millennia-old carvings previously hidden under water.
The engravings deeply etched into the black rock along the riverbanks represent human faces, animals and other figures, and are thought to be 1,000 to 2,000 years old, archaeologists said.
“They allow us to understand the way of life of prehistoric populations,” Jaime de Santana Oliveira, an archaeologist with Brazil’s National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute, said.
The scientists think other rocks at the site were used to sharpen arrows and stone tools.
The Ponto das Lajes archaeological site is located in the rural area of Manaus, the largest city and capital of Amazonas state. From there, locals and tourists can observe the “Meeting of Waters,” which occurs when the dark, Coca-Cola-colored Negro River and the pale, clay-colored Solimoes River converge without merging and run parallel to each other over several miles.
The petroglyphs first were spotted in 2010, when another bad drought struck the region, but had not been observable since then before the current drought.
Low river levels in Amazonas have turned once navigable rivers into endless sand banks and mud, leaving hundreds of communities isolated. Public authorities have scrambled to get food and water to those communities in recent weeks.
Earlier this week, The Associated Press observed the delivery of basic goods. Boats had to dock miles away, forcing residents, most of them small farmers and fishermen, to walk long distances.
Manaus and other nearby cities are experiencing high temperatures and heavy smoke from fires set for deforestation and pasture clearance. The drought is also the likely cause of dozens of river dolphin deaths in Tefe Lake, near the Amazon River.
Dry spells are part of the Amazon’s cyclical weather pattern, usually from May to October. This season’s drought has been fiercer than usual due to two climate phenomena: the warming of northern tropical Atlantic Ocean waters and El Niño — the warming of surface waters in the Equatorial Pacific region.
___
Follow AP’s climate coverage at https://apnews.com/climate-and-environment
veryGood! (34)
Related
- USMNT Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal Leg 1 vs. Jamaica: Live stream and TV, rosters
- Ex-State Department official filmed berating food vendor on Islam, immigration and Hamas
- Closing arguments in Vatican trial seek to expose problems in the city state’s legal system
- Reach For the Sky With These Secrets About the Toy Story Franchise
- 2 credit unions in Mississippi and Louisiana are planning to merge
- Utah Tech women’s hoops coach suspended for 2 games after investigation based on player complaints
- Russian consumers feel themselves in a tight spot as high inflation persists
- The Best Thanksgiving TV Episodes and Movies to Watch As You Nurse Your Food Hangover
- Fantasy football Week 11: Trade value chart and rest of season rankings
- Edey’s 28 points, 15 boards power No. 2 Purdue past No. 4 Marquette for Maui Invitational title
Ranking
- Why was Jalen Ramsey traded? Dolphins CB facing former team on 'Monday Night Football'
- Slovakia’s government signs a memorandum with China’s Gotion High-Tech to build a car battery plant
- Notre Dame honored transfer QB Sam Hartman, and his former coach at Wake Forest hated it
- Too many added sugars in your diet can be dangerous. This should be your daily limit.
- These Yellowstone Gift Guide Picks Will Make You Feel Like You’re on the Dutton Ranch
- How the hostage deal came about: Negotiations stumbled, but persistence finally won out
- Hope for Israel-Hamas cease-fire, but no relief yet for Gaza's displaced, or for Israeli hostages' families
- CEO, co-founder of Cruise Kyle Vogt resigns from position
Recommendation
-
Too Hot to Handle’s Francesca Farago Gives Birth, Welcomes Twins With Jesse Sullivan
-
Brazil forward Rodrygo denounces racist abuse on social media after match against Argentina
-
Southern California man filmed himself fatally shooting homeless person, prosecutors say
-
Washoe County school superintendent’s resignation prompts search for 5th new boss in 10 years
-
Mega Millions winning numbers for November 12 drawing: Jackpot rises to $361 million
-
English FA council member resigns after inappropriate social media post on war in Gaza
-
Buffalo Sabres rookie Zach Benson scores first goal on highlight-reel, between-the-legs shot
-
Man won $50 million from Canadian Lottery game and decided to go back to work next day