Atafona: the city being swallowed by the sea

Photos: Isabela Kassow. See more photos here

RIO DE JANEIRO (state) – Atafona, district of town of 'São João da Barra', situated 314 km from state capital (Rio de Janeiro city) no needs tsunami or hurricane to be destroyed. There, nature is not abrupt. But it works slowly, almost lovingly, engulfing the place bit by bit, relentlessly.

The sea advance over the place is been monitored since the 1970s. Streets houses, hotels, entire blocks are gone. The Atlantic Avenue, a classic landscape of coastal cities, no longer exists. In a radius of five kilometers of coast, erosion has turned everything in ruins. The water takes the sand creating dunes that occupy the space stolen to men.

The advisor to the Planning and Environmental Management of the municipality of Sao Joao da Barra, Andre Pinto explains:

The first observations of erosion were made 40 years ago. The problem was intensified by the lack of pressure of the water volume of the Paraiba do Sul River, which crosses the town towards the sea. The strong dynamics of ocean currents, the geological formation and for being a point of tension of the winds from the northeast, beyond the construction irregular in the fringes of the river and the sea, all of this aspects contribute to make the ocurrence of this phenomenon so intense in Atafona.

The city of São João da Barra has 30 thousands inhabitans and a territory of 432 km². The main economic activity in the region has always been fishing. But 'tourism of the ruins' has grown from in recent years.

The oldest inhabitants say that, since the 70's, the sea surged over five streets, totaling about 500 homes. This is equivalent, by the calculations of the prefecture, 40 soccer fields. Long ago, the sea became prohibited for swimming due to the presence of rebar and constructions debris hidden under the muddy waters.

SOURCE: MORATELLI, Valmir. Atafona: a cidade que está sendo engolida pelo mar. IN último Segundo, published in april – 01/2011 [http://ultimosegundo.ig.com.br/brasil/rj/atafona+a+cidade+que+esta+sendo+engolida+pelo+mar/n1300019862044.html#11]

More fossils of prehistoric crocodiles found at Brazil

Cranium of "Decuriasuchus" found at hinterland of Rio Grande do Sul state, south of Brazil. The predator, who lived in the Triassic period, is older than dinosaurs known.

Rio Grande do Sul (state) – In the city of 'Dona Francisca' in a place called 'Quarta Colônia' (Fourth Colony), researchers of the Museu de Ciências Naturais da Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul (Museum of Natural Sciences of the Foundation Zoo-botanical of Rio Grande do Sul) e da USP (University of São Paulo) de Ribeirão Preto (city of São Paulo state) – they presented to the worldwide scientific community a fossil from 240 million years ago.

An article about the discovery was published this month (march) by the german scientific review Naturwissenschaften (Science and nature). The text is signed by the Paleontologists: Marco Aurélio Gallo de França (USP), Max Cardoso Langer (USP) e Jorge Ferigolo (of the Museum).

Nine of the ten fossils in the site were found together. Footprints of diferent sizes were found too. The researchers belive that they could made by a mothers and puppies. The animals are so much distant relatives of the actual crocodiles. Furthermore, the discovery is uncommon because the pieces were found almost entirely intacts.

The animals that are a new spécie that was identified like belonged to the Rauisuchia group and it was named Decuriasuchos quartacolonia. It was predator carnivore of the Triassic period. Its size was about 2.5 m and a half long and had serrated teeth.

SOURCES

Fundação apresenta fóssil de 240 milhões de anos encontrado no Estado IN Diário de Canoas/RS, published in 03/31/2011 [http://www.diariodecanoas.com.br/site/noticias/geral,canal-8,ed-60,ct-214,cd-312595.htm] Pesquisadores gaúchos e de Ribeirão identificam ‘avô’ do crocodilo. IN Jornal da Cidade/Ribeirão Preto/SP, published in 03/30/2011 [http://www.jornalacidade.com.br/editorias/cidades/2011/03/30/pesquisadores-gauchos-e-de-ribeirao-identificam-avo-do-crocodilo.html]

Prehistoric crocodile nests found in Sao Paulo

SÃO PAULO state/Br – On a farm situated at the locality in Jales, near the city of Sao Jose do Rio Preto (SP state), a crocodile fossils attracted the attention of the international scientific environment. Twelve nests of the beast were found with remnants eggs of these primitive reptile known as Baurusuchus pachecoi. The fossils date back 85 million years ago. Therefore belong to the Cretaceous, the last period before the extinction of dinosaurs.

In Brazil, the species was found for the first time in 1945 in Paulo Faria. This time, along with the nests were also rescued a skull of the arcane crocodile in perfect conditions of conservation. The descobeta was published in the journal Palaenontology. The paleontologist Carlos Eduardo Maia, who discovered the fossils says that he and his team had the honor of give the name to the new finding: Baurulithus fragilis.

SOURCE: Ovos fossilizados de crocodilo pré-histórico são encontrados em Jales, SP. IN O Globo, publicado em 03/29/2011 [http://oglobo.globo.com/cidades/sp/mat/2011/03/29/ovos-fossilizados-de-crocodilo-pre-historico-sao-encontrados-em-jales-sp-924115211.asp]

Mayas: The Stele of number 6

Monument Maya similar to the Stele of number 6, in exibition in La Venta Park Museum

MEXICO – Recently was publicized the information the discovery in Tabasco (one of 31 Mexican states. Capital: Villahermosa) of a supposedly archeological new find belonging to Mayan culture: the Stele of number 6, a stone compostion that could contain prophetic signs about the end of the world.

The midia announced the fact, but in true, Estela No. 6 was found in 1958 in the hills Tortuguero, at Macuspana. Today, it is under the guardianship of the Museum of Anthropology and History Carlos Pellicer House. The piece was never shown to the public.

The stele, which is not a single object but a monument, it is the only document of the Mayan classic period that specifically refers to the date 13.0.0.0.0.0 Ajaw K'ank'kin 3, meaning the equivalent of 21 or 23 December 2012. Therefore, many consider that the stele No. 6 contains something like a prophecy about the end of the World.

However, according to the Maya's Collection director, that brings together ancient hieroglyphs and iconography (Ajimay-INAH), Carlos Pallana Gayol: What we know is that, according to the Mayans the Stella indicates the end of a period and not the end of the world or the advent of a disaster.

FONTE: GARCIA, Flor. Estela 6 marca el fin de un periodo.
IN Tabasco Hoy, published in 03/29/2011
[http://www.tabascohoy.com/noticia.php?id_nota=209840]

The Olmec Dragon

Icon. Drawing Olmec: dragon carved in stone found in Chalcatzingo (Photo: INAH)

MEXICO – In Vera Cruz, Guerrero and Morelos (states of Mexico), archaeologists of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) found representations of mythical beings who were believed, until then, were ignored by the ancient dwellers of the region: dragons.

Images carved in stone, clay sculptures and paintings dating between the years 1200 and 400 BC indicate the practice of a cult of worship to this fantastic animal: the dragon Olmec. There is no mistake. This is not the plumed serpent known and called Quetzalcoatl or Kukulkan. It is another more ancient creature.

The olmec dragon is depicted as a chimera, mixing physical features of snake, bird and jaguar. It also appears like an anthropomorphic being, a dragon-man.

The images have peculiar traits of the Olmec culture: the flame-shaped eyebrows and a cross, of the type called cross of St. Andrew, located between the eyes or on the back. The chief of excavations at Chalcatzingo, in Morelos, Carolina Meza Rodriguez adds: Another interesting aspect of Olmec dragon is that his mouth emits signs that seem like combinations of commas. It is not known whether the signals represent mere fumes or they are words, names, belonging to an unknown language or writing.

The olmec dragons are always related to the cave entrances. It is speculated that they are the symbol of power of an ancient lineage of leaders who ruled the Olmec people between the years 800 and 500 BC. In some cases, the iconographic elements associated with the dragon are found in different parts of a cave. Thereby, the entire chamber becomes a dragon. The Olmec people is the oldest sedentary culture today known at Mesoamerica

SOURCE: CRUZ, Antimio. Los Olmecas también imaginaron dragones.

IN El Universal/Mexico, published in 03/27/2011

[http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/cultura/65110.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]