Some South American Petroglyphs 



By William Curtis Farabee 



NCISED designs upon rock surfaces, known as petro- 

 glyphs, are of world-wide distribution and are very com- 

 mon over the northern part of South America, more 

 particularly north of the Amazon river, in Brazil, the 

 Guianas, and Venezuela. 

 For the greater part they occur along rivers, on the smooth sur- 

 faces of rocks, bowlders, or cliff walls; at times they are high above 

 the water, and again near the surface where they are covered and 

 unseen during the long rainy seasons. Usually they are found in 

 exposed places in plain view from the river, but they may be on the 

 forest side of a bowlder away from the river or on the flat tops of 

 native rocks where it is necessary to stand on the surface to observe 

 them. In all cases there are some in the near view to attract atten- 

 tion and lead to the discovery of remote ones. Often they are at 

 suitable camping places or excellent fishing grounds, but they occur 

 also on bowlders in the midst of cataracts where they are difficult to 

 reach, and again in the dry savannah country away from beaten 

 paths or lines of travel. 



On the University Museum's recent expedition across southern 

 British Guiana and northern Brazil, many petroglyphs were en- 

 countered along the different rivers and in the savannahs traversed. 

 At times they were too indistinct to trace with accuracy or too inac- 

 cessible to photograph, but drawings, photographs, or measurements 

 were made of all that could be determined with certainty. 



SAVANNAH 



In the open savannah between the mountains of Makatawa and 

 Makamintawa, three miles from the Wapisiana village of Aishalto, 

 there are three granitic bowlders covered with poorly-executed glyphs. 

 Plate I will give an idea of the carvings, and the size and character 

 of the rocks. The whole region is practically covered with rocks of 

 the same character, but glyphs occur at this place only. There is no 

 apparent reason why they should be here in preference to any other 

 place; they are not near a spring, the river, nor any trail. A number 

 of the designs are peculiar to this group, as the round head with rays 

 and a mouth extending across the entire face, the diamond-shaped 



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