Drought reveals ancient rock carvings of human faces along Amazon River

A historic drought in South America, along the Amazon River, has revealed ancient human faces, which were carved into stone around 2,000 years ago.

The unusually sparse rainfall in Brazil led to an alarming drop in the water levels of the Amazon River, hence, revealing the carvings of animals and other forms on the shores of the Rio Negro.

This is not the first case, a few of these rock carvings had been spotted previously and archaeologists have been aware of the carved faces for years.

The low level of water has unearthed previously unseen carvings as the researchers are intrigued by a new variety of them which has given them insights into their origins.

The petroglyphs found at the Ponto das Lajes archaeological site, or Place of Slabs, appear to have been created by indigenous people before contact with European explorers.

The Ponto das Lajes is on the north shore of the Amazon near where the Rio Negro and Solimoes rivers join.

Archaeologist Jaime Oliveirawas cited by Reuters as saying, "The engravings are prehistoric, or precolonial. We cannot date them exactly, but based on evidence of human occupation of the area, we believe they are about 1,000 to 2,000 years old. What we're seeing here are representations of anthropomorphic figures."

Oliveira said the carvings were first seen there in 2010, but this year's drought has been more severe, with the Rio Negro dropping 15 metres (49.2 feet) since July, exposing vast expanses of rocks and sand where there had been no beaches.

"This time we found not just more carvings but the sculpture of a human face cut into the rock," said Oliveira, who works for the National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN) that oversees the preservation of historic sites.