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Tens of thousands of ancient ice age paintings discovered in the Amazon rainforest have been revealed ahead of a new documentary.
The paintings cover nearly eight miles of a cliff and are thought to show many extinct “mega animals”.
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Such animals include a giant sloth, primitive horse, porcupine, alligators, and a prehistoric elephant relative called a mastodon.
The paintings are thought to have been drawn by people from the Ice Age between 12,600 and 11,800 years ago.
They would have been some of the first humans to reach the Amazon.
A natural red pigment called ocher was used to create this gorgeous art.
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The paintings are located in an area called Serranía La Lindosa.
It is one of the largest rock art sites in the world and sits above three rock shelters.
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The people who created the paintings would have lived in an era when the Amazon was just turning into the diverse and warm region we know today.
The mass discovery of rock art was made last year in the rebel-controlled Colombian rainforest.
A team of British and Colombian archaeologists have found the rare site and kept it largely secret before a documentary is released this month.
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It’s called Jungle Mystery: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon and can be watched on Channel 4 in the UK.
An investigation of the rock face is said to have found tens of thousands of images including that of birds, fish, turtles and lizards.
There are also said to be depictions of people, including one wearing a bird mask.
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The researchers published an analysis of the rock wall paintings in Quaternary International magazine.
Co-researcher Mark Robinson, an archaeologist at the University of Exeter, said, “These are truly amazing images, produced by the first people to live in the western Amazon.
He added: “The paintings give a vivid and moving glimpse into the life of these communities.
“It is incredible for us today to think that they lived among, and hunted, giant herbivores, some of which were the size of a small car.”
People in the UK can watch a documentary about the paintings on Channel 4 on December 5th at 6.30pm.
Giant sloths: the key facts
Here’s what you need to know …
- Megatherium is the official name for a genus of elephant-sized land sloths native to South America
- They are best known as giant sloths and have lived since the early Pliocene, an era that began 5,333 million years ago
- Unfortunately, giant sloths became extinct around 8,500 BC
- There were only a few other land mammals larger than the Megatherium, which made them one of the most interesting megafaunas in the world
- The first fossil specimen of Megatherium was discovered in Argentina in 1788
- Since then, more fossils have been found across South America, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay
- They are one of the largest land mammals ever
- They could weigh up to 4 tons and measure up to 6 meters (20 feet) in length
- The creatures were erivorous and had huge curved claws for cutting down distant branches
- Giant sloths walked largely on all fours, but rails reveal they were also able to walk on two legs at times
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In other archeology news, the remains of a suspected medieval soldier surrounded by weapons were found submerged in a Lithuanian lake.
An impressive 100 painted coffins from ancient Egypt and 40 statues have been unearthed in the Saqqara necropolis near Cairo.
And the sacrificed llama mummies were excavated in Peru and are almost perfectly preserved after 500 years.
What do you think of the cave paintings? Let us know in the comments …
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