In the Cedeño municipality of Monagas state, specifically in the upper area of the Quebrada Seca community, new ancient petroglyphs were discovered.
The information was provided by Mayor Daniel Monteverde, along with a commission made up of representatives from the National Land Institute (INTI), who highlighted that these prehistoric figures belonged to the original inhabitants of these lands, and are estimated to be between 4.000 and 8.000 years old.
Monteverde stated that, after a series of research efforts, they located a petroglyph in jurisdictional areas of the municipality of Cedeño and that the historic discovery was found about 3,5 kilometers from this town of Cedeño, at an altitude of 647 meters to the northeast of the municipality.
The local leader explained that the goal is to create new attractions for the development of agritourism and adventure tourism in the area.
Ancient indigenous transit routes or sacred rituals
The rock art monument features a series of circular and spiral engravings of great technical precision, carved on a naturally formed rock, and the first observations of the technical team suggest that these symbols could be linked to ancient indigenous transit routes or sacred rituals of the first inhabitants of the region.
He also indicated that a meeting will soon be held with the Ministry of Popular Power for Culture and the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, in order to proceed with the formal certification of these archaeological engravings.
Protocols are being initiated to design an archaeological route
Meanwhile, the Tourism Department has initiated the corresponding protocols to geolocate and safeguard the area to prevent vandalism.
Furthermore, there are plans to coordinate with the Institute of Cultural Heritage (IPC) for the scientific study and dating of the pieces and to design an archaeological route that allows for sustainable tourism, respecting the integrity of the monument.
“With this discovery, the Cedeño municipality reaffirms its potential as a cultural epicenter of eastern Venezuela, inviting the country to set its sights on a land that still holds ancient secrets to be discovered,” Monteverde emphasized.
Gabriel Oliveros- I'm writing a story about this discovery for the Art Newspaper and wondering if you were an archaeologist? – many thanks if you can email me at hadaniditmars@gmail.com
Of common interest: 1) Document/study first, then share. Without prior study and protection plans, the archaeological site is at high risk of being vandalized with graffiti like the "welcome" seen below on the rock. 2) Under no circumstances, EVER, mark or fill the grooves with chalk or paint, and much less spray them with saline solution or any liquid (even water) to clarify the shapes, as this can destroy evidence or lichens that provide information. 3) Never handle, rub, or scrape the grooves, nor use the rock as a podium or seat for taking photos. Even a drop of water can perforate the hardest stone over time. 4) Do not encourage tourism, nor share coordinates without serious protection plans, because if there's one thing that characterizes us, it's spending money on design without any interest in long-term maintenance. We're here today, gone tomorrow.
What to do when you find a petroglyph or archaeological material?
Do not spread propaganda, contact the Anthropology School of the UCV or failing that, the Institute of Cultural Heritage (IPC) for guidance and to register the case.
Act like someone protecting something of great value, rather than sharing information with half the country. Investigate, study first, ensure that long-lasting protection plans are in place that won't be exhausted in six months, and only then, if you are completely certain, disseminate it.
Well, let me tell you my story. My brother once found a stone shaped like a man's penis on a farm far away, and my mother kept it as a sculpture in the house. The thing is, it got lost. Otherwise, I would have taken it to a museum. According to my mother, it had every detail. She thought it was made by nature, which didn't seem to be the case. Besides, it was a stone. These days, how do you carve a stone with such precision? And that rock wasn't smooth.
It's been there all its life, only the authorities had never announced it. The ordinary people, especially the residents of the town and surrounding areas of the San Félix parish, have always known about it. Let's hope it continues to be maintained over time and that it will always be a source of tourist attraction and a subject of studies and research for all future generations to come.