Archaeologists Discover Tens of Thousands of Hyper-Realistic Ancient Cave Paintings in the Colombian Amazon (9 photos)

A Colombian territory has reopened for exploration.





Pre-Columbian rock art at Cerro Azul in Guaviare state, Colombia, dates back approximately 12,000 years. Photo by Marie-Claire Thomas,

In a discovery that will take generations to fully uncover, archaeologists have discovered tens of thousands of Ice Age drawings depicting wild animals and humans on a series of Amazonian cliffs. The Serranía la Lindosa territory in Colombia was reopened for exploration following the 2016 peace agreement between rebels and the government.

Researchers conducted excavations in 2017 and 2018, but kept them under wraps until now, when they will be revealed in the documentary Jungle Mystery: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon. The first episode of the new series will air on Channel 4 in England on December 5.

"What really impressed me was two things," José Iriarte, a researcher at the University of Exeter, told Artnet News. "First, the realism of the paintings. Because of how realistic they are, we can tell, for example, that they were painting Ice Age megafauna."

Second, "there's a diversity of paintings," he said. "Aquatic habitats include fish, turtles, anacondas, and boa constrictors. But there are also birds, such as eagles and king vultures. Then there are land animals: monkeys, deer, giant sloths, and horses." Abstract images and finely drawn figures are also present, including a dancer mid-turn.



Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi compares her hand to a handprint created approximately 12,000 years ago at Cerro Azul in Guaviare, Colombia. Photo by Marie-Claire Thomas

The artists who created the images were very particular about the materials they used, as well as the placement of the paintings and surface preparation, Iriarte said. First, the walls they chose were protected from rain, suggesting the artists were mindful of preserving the paintings. According to Iriarte, they also chose fine-grained rock surfaces to create a "very smooth canvas."

The team had only recently begun exploring the area when they noticed the walls on satellite imagery. Knowing that rock art had been discovered nearby, they suspected the walls might be more heavily loaded. Because the area is still under the control of rebel dissidents who have not signed a peace agreement with the government, the team had to obtain permission to explore the walls, which are a five-hour walk through the forest.

"You've been seeing things like this on TV for 100 years," Iriarte said. "When you're there, I wouldn't say you cry, but... you get emotional."