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The discovery was made during three expeditions between 2022 and 2023 in Jalapao State Park in the Tocantins region. Researchers from Brazil’s National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) discovered 16 pre-colonial archaeological sites located on rocky cliffs not far from each other.

This proximity points to a possible connection between the objects and clarifies the settlement patterns of the ancient communities living in the region.
Archaeologist Romulo Macedo, who conducted the study, said:

Many of the newly discovered carvings are carved symbols created by rubbing stones. The team also found numerous red drawings in some areas. “It is possible that the drawings are older than the engravings and were made by a different cultural group.”– Adds Macedo.

Archaeological sites are located in rocky cliffs / Photo: Rômulo Macêdo

Rock art find ‘rare and important’ because So far, archaeologists have only found stone artifacts from pre-colonial indigenous peoples of Jalapao. Earlier ceramic artifacts and stone tools found during archaeological excavations in these places may have been important objects for artistic creation. The engravings were probably made with sharpened pieces of stone and wood, and the coloring pigments were obtained by grinding iron minerals that were very common in the region. The powder was then mixed with animal or vegetable oil and applied to the stone with fingers or sticks.

The finds at Jalapao have not yet been fully studied. However, it has technical and thematic similarities with other archaeological sites in different regions of Brazil. The history of rock painting dates back to approximately 2000 years ago.

Findings of similar rock paintings in different regions show that they are related / Photo: Rômulo Macêdo

Further analysis of rock paintings and archaeological excavations in these regions will provide new information about the lifestyle and spirituality of these indigenous people groups. The findings may also shed light on the “symbol repertoire of the pre-colonial population.”