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Humans first arrived in the Americas from Asia via the Bering Strait in several waves of migration 25,000–15,000 years ago. Migrating hunter-gatherers found landscapes that were untouched by humans and filled with unknown plants and animals. Paleo-Indian cultures that migrated through (what is now) Latin America left traces of their lives in caves and on rocks depicting rock art. (Also read | Glasses or contacts? The problem with fast fashion with contact lenses and glasses that we don’t see,
These paintings show how early cultures learned to live in their new environment. They also give researchers clues about how ancient humans left their legacy on the biodiversity and culture of the region today.
The main evidence about early Paleo-Indian culture comes from the oldest cave art in Latin America in the Serranía de la Lindosa in Colombia.
The paintings there are believed to be 12,800 years old, dating from around the end of the Ice Age.
Francisco Javier Acetunno, an archaeologist at the University of Antioquia, Colombia, described the art there as “pictures of the past”. Aceituno has spent years studying the caves.
“We have been able to compare the rock paintings with the results of archaeological excavations we have conducted. We have excavated the ‘artists’ houses’ where the wall was painted,” he told DW via email.
The art, mostly in red ochre, depicts various animal species, which some scholars suggest may be now extinct animals, such as ground sloths and native horse species, or domesticated species including cows and dogs. .
But these scenes of nature are more than just creative expression. Experts believe the pictures serve as educational tools that help teach younger generations about when and how to manage different plant and animal species – not just in Colombia, but throughout South America. In.
For example, evidence found in a Patagonian cave shows that paintings dating back 8,200 years were used to transmit information up to 130 human generations, which may have helped people survive a changing climate.
Cave art reflects early spirituality
Much of the cave art of the Serranía de la Lindosa, as well as other parts of South America, contains symbolic art depicting the spiritual world.
,[There are] Scenes of dance rituals or shamanic rites. With these spiritual scenes, [people were] Trying to domesticate the natural world by controlling the forces of nature,” Acetuno said.
Spirituality is evident in ancient art around the world, through both painting and music. Experts say this evidence reveals the earliest forms of religion, when humans formed a sacred relationship with the natural world.
Hallucinogenic drugs, many of which are native to the Americas, may have played an important role in early spirituality and religious ceremonies.
For example, Paleo-Indians in California are believed to have used hallucinogenic drugs to induce spiritual states, such as the LSD parties that spread in California in the 1960s or contemporary ayahuasca use in Brazil. Went.
How did Paleolithic-Indian cultures influence modern Amazonia?
13,000–8,000 years ago, Amazonia changed from dry savannas and shrublands to the tropical rainforests we know today.
This period saw rapid changes in climate and local cultures had to learn to adapt.
Excavations in the Serranía de la Lindosa allowed Acetuna and colleagues to indirectly date cave art to the beginning of this period of change.
But the most surprising discovery, Acetuna said, was that human cultures had been living in the Serranía de la Lindosa for more than 12,000 years.
Acetuna believes they may have strongly affected Amazonia’s biodiversity and plant life during climate change – and we can still see it today.
For example, rock art in the region indicates that humans were managing plant species about 9000 years ago. This may explain the persistence of useful plants now in Amazonia.
Amazonia has an unusual richness of plants used for food and medicine. Many drugs and medicines, including quinine and cocaine, originate from the Amazon, earning it the nickname “the world’s largest medicine cabinet”.
“They [Paleo-Indians] Achieved balance in the management of natural resources. Plants and animals were more than just food – they were also seen as respected living beings. [People used] Conservation principle: I can’t deplete my resources, my food,” Acetuno said.
The genetic history of indigenous groups is not yet known
Another legacy, Acetuna said, was the legacy of Paleolithic groups in the ethnic groups living in Latin America today.
“Current Indigenous Groups [in the region] Some traditions and methods of exploiting the forest have been inherited, and [Mesoamerican] Worldview,” Aceituna said.
Elements of the Mesoamerican cosmovision – their worldview – can be seen in things like Day of the Dead celebrations and the indigenous belief that everything in the universe is part of a pair.
But we cannot be sure that present-day indigenous communities are direct descendants of Paleo-Indian cultures “in the biological sense.”
However, recent advances in testing ancient DNA may help discover the genetic history of local indigenous groups, and with the help of other cave art, discover how their cultures spread into South America.
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