4,000-Year-Old Rock Art From Unknown Culture Uncovered in Venezuela

An archaeological team in Venezuela has uncovered 20 ancient rock art sites in Canaima National Park, consisting of both pictograms and petroglyphs, estimated to be around 4,000 years old! Located in the southeastern part of the country, this discovery reveals a previously unknown culture, even though similar rock art has been found elsewhere in South America. The artworks are drawn in red and feature geometric motifs like lines of dots, rows of X’s, star-shaped patterns, and interconnected straight lines forming designs.

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One area where rock art sites were found in Venezuela was near Angel Falls, the tallest land waterfall on Earth. (José Miguel Pérez-Gómez)

Emergence of A New Culture?

The newly found artworks also feature simple depictions of leaves and stick figures. Some of the images, generally known as petroglyphs, are incised into the rock and display a variety of geometric motifs. The purpose behind this art remains unclear. The different depictions might relate to themes such as birth, diseases, the renewal of nature, or good hunting.

The locations where the rock art was created likely held significant meaning within the landscape, much like churches do for people today.

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Rock art from Upuigma-tepui rock shelter in Canaima National Park, Venezuela. (José Miguel Pérez-Gómez/Simón Bolívar University)

“It is almost impossible to get into the minds of people living so many [thousands of] years ago" lead researcher José Miguel Pérez-Gómez, an archaeologist and researcher at Simón Bolívar University in Caracas, told Live Science over email. He added that "definitely these signs had a ritual meaning."

Ceramic and stone tool remains were also discovered at the 20 rock art sites and might have been used by the creators of the rock art. However, further research is required to confirm this, according to Pérez-Gómez. He also mentioned that additional rock art sites are likely to be uncovered in Canaima National Park as research progresses.

The exact age of the rock art is uncertain, but similar art in Brazil has been dated to around 4,000 years ago. However, Pérez-Gómez believes that the examples in Venezuela might be even older, writes Archaeology Mag.

Scientific Enquiry in a Brain Drain Era

The findings were presented at the "New Worlds New Ideas" prehistoric archaeological congress held in Valcamonica, Italy, from June 26 to 29, pointing to the ethnic and cultural richness of early south American settlers. A paper discussing one of the rock art sites was published in November 2023 in the journal Rock Art Research.

“This is relevant not only for Venezuela but points at a cultural and ethnic richness that will enhance, worldwide, how we think about the region,” Pérez-Gómez told Axios Latino.

The effort to study these sites and capture 3D photographs is particularly remarkable considering the situation in Venezuela. Over the past decade, the country has experienced a significant exodus, leading to a massive "brain drain”: in the last decade alone, 20% of the population has left the country, with scant resources allocated for research opportunities.

An enhanced view showing some of the rock art discovered in Venezuela. (José Miguel Pérez-Gómez/Simón Bolívar University)

Canaima National Park, roughly the size of El Salvador and Belgium, encompasses forests and mountainous terrain and is home to Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall. According to Pérez-Gómez, the park may have been the original center where this mysterious culture first emerged before spreading to distant regions such as the Amazon river, the Guianas, and even southern Colombia, where similar rock art has been discovered.

Pérez-Gómez hopes that the area can eventually be declared a heritage site to ensure its preservation. In the meantime, he is advocating for grants and seeking resources to support the ongoing research and conservation efforts. He and his team plan to conduct more thorough excavations and analyses at the rock art sites in their next phase of research, aiming to ultimately achieve heritage site status for the area to guarantee its preservation.

Top image: An enhanced view showing some of the rock art found in Venezuela.  Source: José Miguel Pérez-Gómez/Simón Bolívar University

By Sahir Pandey