Jump directly to the content
LOST WORLD

Ancient cliff face paintings of lost ‘mega animals’ wiped out tens of thousands of years ago discovered

TENS of thousands of ancient Ice Age paintings discovered in the Amazon rainforest have been revealed ahead of a new documentary.

The paintings cover almost eight miles of a cliff face and are thought to show lots of extinct 'mega animals'.

These cave paintings were revealed in a study and are thought to show (a) a giant sloth and its offspring (b) a prehistoric relative of an elephant called a mastodon (c) an early horse (d) another early horse (e&f) unidentified odd toed ungulates - the same family as tapirs and rhinos
10
These cave paintings were revealed in a study and are thought to show (a) a giant sloth and its offspring (b) a prehistoric relative of an elephant called a mastodon (c) an early horse (d) another early horse (e&f) unidentified odd toed ungulates - the same family as tapirs and rhinosCredit: MARCOTE-RIOS ET AL. 2020

Such animals include a giant sloth, an early horse, a porcupine, alligators and a prehistoric elephant relative called a mastodon.

It's thought the paintings were drawn by Ice Age people around 12,600 to 11,800 years ago.

They would have been some of the first humans to reach the Amazon.

A red natural pigment called ochre was used to create the stunning art.

The discovery is one of the largest rock-art sites in the world
10
The discovery is one of the largest rock-art sites in the worldCredit: Getty Images - Getty
The rock-art is really well preserved
10
The rock-art is really well preservedCredit: MARIE-CLAIRE THOMAS/WILD BLUE MEDIA/CHANNEL 4
Giant sloths, which have been extinct for tens of thousands of years, feature in the paintings
10
Giant sloths, which have been extinct for tens of thousands of years, feature in the paintingsCredit: BBC

The paintings are located in an area called the Serranía La Lindosa.

It's one of the largest rock-art sites in the world and is located above three rock shelters.

The paintings will feature on a new Channel 4 documentary
10
The paintings will feature on a new Channel 4 documentaryCredit: MARIE-CLAIRE THOMAS/WILD BLUE MEDIA/CHANNEL 4
10

The people who created the paintings would have lived at a time when the Amazon was only just transforming into the diverse and hot region we know today.

The mass rock-art discovery was made last year in the rebels-controlled Colombian rainforest.

A team of British and Columbian archaeologists found the rare site and have largely kept it a secret ahead of a documentary coming out this month.

Hand prints were also found
10
Hand prints were also foundCredit: MARIE-CLAIRE THOMAS/WILD BLUE MEDIA/CHANNEL 4

It's called   and can be watched on Channel 4 in the UK.

A survey of the cliff face was said to find tens of thousands of images including that of birds, fish, turtles and lizards.

There's also said to be depictions of people including one wearing a bird mask.

The painters depicted ancient horse creatures called Hippidion
10
The painters depicted ancient horse creatures called Hippidion
Ochre was used to paint the red figures
10
Ochre was used to paint the red figuresCredit: Getty Images - Getty
The new documentary will air in the UK on December 5 on Channel 4
10
The new documentary will air in the UK on December 5 on Channel 4Credit: Getty Images - Getty

Researchers published an analysis of the cliff face paintings in the journal.

Study co-researcher Mark Robinson, an archaeologist at the University of Exeter, said: "These really are incredible images, produced by the earliest people to live in western Amazonia.

He added: "The paintings give a vivid and exciting glimpse into the lives of these communities.

"It is unbelievable to us today to think they lived among, and hunted, giant herbivores, some which were the size of a small car."

People in the UK can watch a documentary about the paintings on Channel 4 on December 5 at 6:30pm.

Giant sloths – the key facts

Here's what you need to know...

  • Megatherium is the official name for a genus of elephant-sized ground sloths native to South America
  • They're better known as giant growth sloths, and lived from the early Pliocene, an epoch that began 5.333million years ago
  • Sadly, giant sloths became extinct roughly around 8,500 BC
  • There were only a few other land mammals that were bigger than Megatherium, making them one of the world's most interesting megafauna
  • The first fossil specimen of Megatherium was discovered in Argentina in 1788
  • Since then, more fossils have been found across South America, including in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay
  • They're one of the biggest land mammals known to have ever existed
  • They could weigh up to 4 tonnes, and measured up to 6 metres (20 foot) in length
  • The creatures were herivorous, and had huge curved claws for pulling down far-away branches
  • Giant sloths largely walked on all fours, but trackways reveal that they were capable of walking on two legs at times too
Earliest humans visited a cave in a remote part of Mexico around 30,000 years ago

In other archaeology news, the remains of a suspected medieval soldier surrounded by weapons have been found submerged in a Lithuanian lake.

An impressive 100 Ancient Egyptian painted coffins and 40 statues have been unearthed at the Saqqara necropolis near Cairo.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

And, sacrificed llama mummies have been dug up in Peru and they're almost perfectly preserved after 500 years.

What do you think of the cave paintings? Let us know in the comments...


We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]


Topics