Featured Image Credit: Benjamin Ballester
By Sarah Sharkey
Rock art was found on the Chilean coast that depicted whales, seals and sharks have recently been studied more closely. Although local people have known about these drawings for centuries, it has only been studied in the last century. The paintings are on cave walls and are estimated to be 1500 years old! The ancient people used iron oxide to create this amazing display.
The rock art was found in El Medano, Chile, which is in a valley between the ocean and the desert.
The paintings show many types of marine animals, including sharks and whales, being slaughtered. Hundreds of pictures show the creatures covered in blood. The paintings suggest that this society was very good at hunting in a marine environment.
According to the researchers, these paintings are all based on the daily life of the ancient people. That suggests that these people were hunting and fishing in the ocean frequently and successfully. The constant food supply from the ocean allowed people to create permanent residences nearby, instead of following a food source like other groups in their time.
Other archaeological remains in the area confirm the story of the paintings. Items such as oars, harpoons and more all suggest that these people were successful at making a living from the sea.
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