Artworks, located in Jalapão, Brazil, in the state of Tocantins, are estimated to have been created a staggering 2,000 years ago.
Each is marked with human and animal footprints as well as other representations.
The research, carried out by a team with Brazil’s National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN), also found beautifully crafted engravings around the various sites.
Archaeological expeditions have been carried out in the region for the last two years in the hope of shedding further light on Brazil’s pre-Hispanic history.
“Among the symbols engraved and painted on the rocks, human footprints stand out, footprints of animals such as deer and wild pigs, and figures that resemble celestial bodies,” noted lead archaeologist Rômulo Macedo in a scientific paper released to coincide with the finds.
Mr Macedo noted that it remains unclear who created the rock artwork and for what purpose.
Researchers are now tasked with interpreting what they believe to be the reason, theories which include making records of the time, telling stories and myths, opening dialogues with ancient spirits or possibly marking territory.
According to them, the closeness of the rock art sites and the repeated representations of certain symbols suggest the designers shared the same belief system.
Another theory hints that the paintings are older than the engravings and were made by a different cultural group altogether.
“Because of the technique and the themes represented, it is likely that the paintings are older than the engravings and that they were made by another cultural group, but further research is needed,” Macedo told Newsweek.
Only recently has more research been undertaken into the people who once called Jalapão home during the pre-colonial era.
There is a void in knowledge that spans thousands of years, but recent archaeological discoveries in the region are helping to fill the gaps.
Some of the relics found and excavations suggest that human occupation in the area stretches back a whopping 12,000 years — around the same time that hunter-gatherers began living in Britain.
The ancient cultures who peopled Jalapão were probably drawn to the area by its rich biodiversity. The state is to this day one of the most environmentally rich savannas in the world.
While the rock art and engravings will likely stir much interest among the public, Macedo cautioned over their precarious conditions. The elements pose a great risk, as do human activities like deforestation and vandalism.
Studies into the separate art work and engravings now hope to provide more answers.
