Rock art depicts giant snake in South America

Anaconda of the past? Rock art depicts giant snake in South America

The huge painting of the snake is quite visible and may have served as a warning to other people that the snake
Archaeologists have located several rock arts in the regions of present-day Venezuela and Colombia. Among the discoveries is the largest monumental engraving in the world. The paintings show humans and animals and are located along the Upper and Middle Orinoco River.

Painting may have served as a warning
Researchers believe the location of the rock art was intentional.
The aim of the people who created the paintings was that they could be seen from a distance, as they lie along the path of an important trade and travel route known as Atures Rapids.
It is not known for sure who created the engravings.
The largest of them depicts a huge snake.
Site can be opened to tourism
According to a study published in the journal Antiquity, anacondas and boa constrictors were associated with the creator deity of some of the indigenous groups living in the region. Snakes are also known to be lethal, which was perhaps a way of warning visitors that they were entering owner-owned land.

The image of the snake caught the researchers' attention because it resembled a drawing located on a piece of pottery discovered in the area during a previous excavation. The animal includes horns, a spiral tail, and a “clearly defined zigzag.”
According to the analyzes carried out, the rock art would be approximately two thousand years old. The research team has registered the sites with Colombian and Venezuelan national heritage bodies and plans to work with local indigenous groups to ensure the paintings are protected, especially as the region becomes more open to tourism.

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