A fabulous painting discovered in deep dark caves on the uninhabited island of Mona in Puerto Rico reveals the secrets of early civilization.
A huge collection of rock art was discovered in deep dark caves on Mona Island in Puerto Rico, writes Newsweek.
The incredible collection was presented after three years of research by scientists from the UK and Puerto Rico.
Explorers traveled around 70 cave systems to learn more about the indigenous population that lived on the island before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1493.
It is believed that humans first arrived on Mona Island between 3000 and 2000 BC. Its population increased with the rise of the Mystery culture sometime between the seventh and eleventh centuries AD.
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The latest article, published in the journal Archaeological Science, reports that researchers have found a variety of rock paintings in the caves, made by the indigenous people of the Caribbean.
In the caves, scientists have discovered thousands of different images painted and scrawled on the walls.
Study co-author Alice Samson, an archaeologist at the University of Leicester in the UK, said initial evidence suggests some of the images date back to at least the 13th century. This indicates that humans have been exploring the underground landscape long before the arrival of Europeans.
She also said that the images found in the caves of Mona Island include human, animal and natural motifs.
“For millions of indigenous peoples living in the Caribbean before the arrival of Europeans, the caves were portals to the spiritual realm, and so the drawings show the essence of their beliefs,” says co-author Iago Cooper of the British Museum.
The analysis showed that various methods were used to create the rock art. Some of the images were painted with charcoal. Scraping the walls with a finger-sized tool was also used.
It is worth noting that the results of the study indicate that indigenous peoples visited the dark areas of the caves specifically to create rock art.
There is evidence that people produced paints from plants.
In conclusion, the scientists add: "An important step in understanding rock art anywhere in the world is to reconstruct the social and cultural context of its creation."
Yulia Ivanova