Serra Da Capivara National Park Facts: Sneak Peek Into The History

Serra da Capivara National Park is famous for its ancient rock art.

The National Park made it to the World Heritage List in 1991. The da Capivara National Park was formally established in 1979 to ensure the conservation of archaeological sites and preserve cultural wealth and historical values.

Confined within faithless cliffs and concealed in the sheltered valleys of northeast Brazil, Serra Da Capivara is the most eye-catching rock art of South America. The mineral and chemical qualities of the rock on which the graphic and picturesque rock art is painted are fragile, and it is unstable on several panels.

Scientific research confirms that the Capivara mountain range in the pre-Columbian era was densely populated. They further confirm the existence of living beings on the American Continent.

Discovery And History

As evidence of early human habitation, Serra Da Capivara national park consists of over 500 caves and shelters. The Da Capivara National Park was established in 1979 to protect the prehistoric paintings and rock art present in the American continent.

In 1991, it was listed in the World Heritage Site, and Niède Guidon is its head archaeologist.

This area flaunts a rich collection of primitive archaeological remains and prehistoric elements. This has laid the path to extensive research and vast studies in the area about the area's plants, environment, animals, and habitats.

The Park is located in Piauí, which is Brazil's northeastern state. However, Boqueirão da Pedra Furada is the best-known archaeological site of the Park.

The surviving rock art of Pedra Furada represents the work of spear-throwers and traps to hunt. The coloring matter used in the rock art was prepared, typically derived from the clay of different colors and reddish ochre (iron oxide). First rock paintings appear to date from 23000 years ago since the Pleistocene, which is approximately 60,000 years ago.

According to research, the region enclosing the da Capivara National Park was inhabited by ancient man, thenceforth ceramic-farming communities. Primary agriculturists used burnished stones and cultivated beans, corn, calabashes, and pea-nuts. The villages of the area were discoid, and villagers used to bury their dead bodies in ceramic funerary urns.

Also, the climate was semi-arid at that time. Archeologists opine that this region may have been inhabited as early as 50,000 years ago. The oldest enduring archaeological site with surviving rock art was discovered some 1o,ooo years ago.

Archaeological Excavations

The landscape depicts one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the world, and the estate is a piece of extraordinary evidence to one of the oldest human societies of South America.

The Park consists of over 300 archaeological sites that border two major geological originations, the peripheral depression of the São Francisco River and the Maranhão-Piauí sediment basin, and is provided with a diversity of relief vegetation and panoramas of magnificent beauty and freckled with an exceptional view of the surrounding plains, valleys, and mountains.

Sítio do Meio is the next necessary rock shelter in the region following Pedra Furada. The stone artifacts are better-taken care of because of the non-existence of waterfalls In the region.

Pedra Furada fully attributes Pleistocene artifacts and dates. A minimum of 98 stone tools appear to be older than 12,500 years, before the present, which belongs to the Upper Pleistocene period of Pedra Furada.

Another newer site in the region is Toca da Tira Peia, where the stone tools are found that might date as early as 22,000 years ago and have been dated via optically triggered luminescence. Other major archaeological excavations in the area are Baxao da Esperanca and the Lapa do Boquete site, which is tracked down directly in South America.

Attraction

The Serra da Capivara National Park is a preserved cultural and natural area admeasuring 129,14 ha (319111.9 ac) and a circumference of 132.97 mi (214 km). The da Capivara National park consists of several natural and wildlife attractions, relief vegetation, deciduous faunas, and more that attract tourism here.

The da Capivara National park has a relax formed by valleys, hills, and plateaus. The transforming-climatic environment in transition zones with the rainforest at the northern edge.

Besides, there are the 'white forests' in the northeast of Brazil. Blooming vegetation is usually present in the time of the rainy season. The studies executed in the national Park found the existence of 208 lizards, 33 species of non-erratic mammals, 34 amphibians, 24 bats, and 208 species of birds.

Permanent water reservoirs of the Cuesta and multiple small fishes are significant places of attraction for tourists and the human population living there. Around 60 families have lived in the Park since 1994, following around 300 human populations.

In order to employ and educate societies to function in various areas, such as cultural tourism, infrastructure, ecology, and management, low-cost and communal conservation measures were also implemented in the region.

FAQs

What is capivara National Park known for?

Serra da Capivara National Park is the oldest and largest concentration of Prehistoric sites in the United States and an amazing place with spectacular nature. It is particularly famous for the rock art that features cave paintings from the prehistoric era.

Who discovered Serra Da Capivara?

The Brazilian archaeologist who explored the excavations, Niede Guidon, discovered Serra da capivara National Park. She also believed that the human population had reached these uplands roughly 100,000 years ago, and they might have come by boat from Asia and Africa.

Besides, her discoveries at the museum of Serra da Capivara National Park showcase a skull determined to be 9,920 years old.

When was Serra da Capivara found?

The initial traces of rock painting in Serra Da Capivara National Park dates from between 26,000 and 22,000 BC. Numerous painted works were between 10,000 to 4,000 BC and were made by Agreste and Nordeste cultures. The region wasn't rediscovered until the '60s. It lies in northeast Brazil.

What is Capivara National Park known for?

The Capivara National park was established to conserve the cultural values and prehistoric paintings, rock art, and artifacts found there. Niede Guidon discovered it in 1979, and later in 1991, it became a World Heritage Site. Moreover, it's a well-known and significant archaeological site is Pedra Furada.

Who painted Serra Da Capivara?

The paintings reveal the details about the area's earliest inhabitants. These were, however, made by Agreste and Nordeste cultures.

When was Serra Da Capivara National Park listed as a UNESCO heritage site?

The Serra Da Capivara landscapes depict one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the world. It was developed in the year 1979 but was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991.