AMAZONAS 🌳🌳🌳 In danger of disappear: The rock engravings of the Madeira River

BRAZIL. At brazilian amazonian, when the level of waters the Madeira River low - in the dry season, is possible to see ancient drawings engraved in stone. The forms reveal geometric shapes or animals. These pictures may have been made for thousands of years by people who lived in the Amazon and of who little is known about their habits and lifestyle.

Photos: Michelle M. Tizuka/Santo Antonio Energia

There are five areas with extensive rock formations where these rock carvings appear. In the rainy season. near the city of Porto Velho (capital of Rondonia' state) the river hide the images. 

 Now, scholars of history, archaelogists and anthropologists are faced a serious problem: with the project of a dam on the river, the hydroelectric power plant of Santo Antonio, this important trace of human presence will be permanently submerged.

Thinking in this problem, the Santo Antonio Energy, responsible for the build of the plant, hired two companies specializing in archeology to preserve the memory these drawings. 

The companies are using 3D technology to scan the prints. The equipment that can record drawings with high precision and quality. In total, more than 2000 images were collected.

After make the digital record, the researchers will reconstruct the rock extensions on virtual models, so that the stones. By this way, the images will be studied in laboratory and associated with occupations of the archaeological sites located on the river region. 

With work, scientists will have conditions understand how these people lived and determine the age of the drawings. Some of them date back over 7000 years, according scholars.

The archaeological rescue is one of the constraints imposed by IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente - Brazilian Institute of Enviroment) for the build of the energy plant and to the begin of the operations. Meanwhile, the works for the preservation the archaeological patrimony is in course.

However, the project has received many critics. Santo Antonio, as well as the Jirau energy plant - also located on the Madeira River, are facing the charge that these kind of iniciative is one more factor that increase the deforestation of the Amazon. 

The government is also criticized for the lack of policies of population control,a problem that will results of the instalation of the new plants that, certainly, will generate serious social questions in the city of Porto Velho. Because, as we know, governments are always late. Let's meditate.

SOURCES

CALIXTO, Bruno. 

Pesquisadores registram gravuras rupestres do Rio Madeira.

Época, published in 29/02/2011
http://colunas.revistaepoca.globo.com/planeta/2012/02/29/pesquisadores-registram-gravuras-rupestres-do-rio-madeira/

Amazons, Phoenicians and Atlantis

As Amazonas, Ulrico Schmidt

The major of historians consider the woman warrior in South America only like a legend, less than a myth or even like mere fantasy of the cronists.

However, some little things in the notes of the explorers make belive that there is a background of strange true behind the legend. The chronicle of Friar Gaspar de Carvajal contains at least two visions of "Amazonas". The witness, source of information of the writer, talks about the clohthes of the women: if in the battle they were naked or almost, in their cities they use tunics of fine wool.

But, what wool is this? The brazilian indigenous, those called "Amerabas", lived naked, or almost, ever. They also did not knowledge the herding. It seems clear that the warrior women of South America don't belonged to same ethnical groups of the others natives of the region. In fact, the witness doesn't could be more clear:

They wear fine clothes made with the wool of the "Peruvian sheep" (alpacas): "Their clothes are like tunics tight down the breasts. On their shoulders and thet they use cloaks that are with cords.

Their long hairs, touch the floor and they have gold crowns on their head, the width of two fingers. Their land is populated by camels (llamas) serving as pack animals. There, exist two saltwater lakes.

Between Bolivia and Peru are notable saltwater lakes as Titicaca, the second largest saltwater lake in the world, located at 3.810 meters of altitude - and the "Poopo" lake.

Amazons of Andes

Researchers from different times have sought to explain the origins of this strange nation of women in South America In 1555, the Franciscan priest and cosmographer, André Thevet (1502-1580, french), published a compilation of texts of various explorers.

About the tribe of "Amazonas", Thevet concluded that possibly were descendants of Amazons Greek that after the Trojan War, had been dispersed around the world. Arriving to South America via North America and Central America, settled themselves in insular territories, in small islands, where they built their cities and underground chambers.

Atlanteans and Phoenicians

Some researchers have supported a history even more old for the great nation of the "Amazons". More ancient that Troy war. Some scholars belive that these women warriors are survivors of a community of the Atlantean civilization that was in a colapse process, and after, much later more, in association with the phoenicians, the women crossed the ocean even reaching the America continent.

Among these scholars figured the austrian professor Ludwig Schewennhagen, whose book "Phoenicians in Brazil: Ancient History of Brazil" is much quoted. Schewennhagen says the arrival of the "Amazonas" at Brazil coincides with the epoch of the Phoenicians arrival, between 1000 and 1200 BC. He also advocates that the name of the great Amazonas river has its origin in this remote time (contradicting the version of spanishes).

The warriors women of Dahomey, between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries

The oldest ancestors of women warriors were a nation, member of the immense empire of Humanity and civilization of the Atlanteans. Possibly, the Amazons could had been the last matriarchal society in the context of an advanced culture. Their tribes were scattered across almost the entire known world. Asia Minor, yes, but also in Africa where were known as the warriors women of Dahomey. They were Amazons, because they dominated the riding, they were knights women, and warriors because they had the knowledge the art of war and weapons.

SOURCES:
SCHWENNHAGEN, Ludwig. Fenícios no Brasil. Rio de Janeiro: Cátedra, 1986.
IN [http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/6585607/719953186/name/7389093-Fenicios-No-Brasil-Ludwig-Schwennhagen-PDF.pdf]
ICAMIABAS
IN [http://lendasemisteriosdomundo.blogspot.com/2010/06/as-amazonas-icamiabas.html]

Sacred caves of Yanomamis are found in brazilian Amazonian

Neblina peak, located on the north

of Amazonas state, in Serra do Imeri

(Imeri mountais) is the more high

point of Brazil with 2993,78 meters.

AMAZONAS/BR – An inedit expedition realized last year (2010) in the Parque Nacional do Pico da Neblina (National Park of Neblina Peak) identified five caves that are considered sacred by the indigenous of the yanomami ethnic group.

The caves are located at the high river Negro (rio Negro). So far, only the Yanomami knew their location. Now, the caves were indexed by governamental instances that organized the expedition: the Centro Nacional de Conservação e Pesquisas de Cavernas (Cecav) linked to the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio – Chico Mendes Institute of conservation and research of caves).

The exact localization and photos obtained of the caves will be not disclosed. This is a secret because these caves are not only geographical spaces. For the Yanomami indigenous the five caves are mystic, magical places with spiritual meanings.

Despite the caution, a little information could be revealed by the coordinator of the expedition, José Carlos Reino. The caves are small but sustain a rich ecosystem. Granite predominates in geological formations and the researchers explored an extension of 60 km.

But beyond topographical knowledge the project includes cultural anthropology that related to the caves. During the expedition were recorded the legends and myths of the five caves, traditions of the Yanomami indigenous people.

To reach the caves, the expedition had to negotiate with the Yanomami. The Indians themselves have led the team to the site but they do not agree to allow visits in that area of the the National Park. Before the group begin the expedition, the leader indigenous Joaquin Figueroa performed a ritual (damn, the caciques no more have names of caciques) for the spirits, that live in the caves, permit the presence of strangers there.

SOURCE: Expedição identifica cavernas sagradas dos índios yanomami no Pico da Neblina, no Amazonas.
IN A Crítica, published in 03/18/2011
[http://acritica.uol.com.br/amazonia/Amazonia-Amazonas-Manaus-Expedicao-identifica-Pico-Neblina-Amazonas_0_446355654.html]