Arte rupestre na Amazônia: um patrimônio ameaçado

Abstract

The work analyzes the anthropomorphic representations identified in rock art sites located on the left bank of the Amazon River, in the municipality of Prainha, Pará. Documentary and field research cataloged seven sites in the terra firme and interfluve areas, predominantly featuring engravings produced by deep incision, occasionally combined with red, yellow, and black paintings. Anthropomorphic figures constitute the most prominent graphics in the area and were classified into three main types: complete anthropomorphs, head representations (faces), and masks. Complete anthropomorphs are characterized by the full depiction of the body in three parts (head, torso, and limbs) with bilateral symmetry, frontal perspective, and anatomical detail, highlighting the suggestion of pregnancy in some figures due to the presence of a second anthropomorph inside the torso. Head representations are the most numerous and exhibit high facial detail—including eyes, mouths with teeth, and ears—a stylistic feature uncommon in other regions of Brazil. Masks, in turn, appear in reduced and stylized forms. The study also establishes thematic and stylistic correlations between the rock engravings of Prainha and anthropomorphic decorations observed in Amazonian archaeological ceramics (such as Tapajó, Marajoara, and Maracá cultures), discussing hypotheses regarding the chronology and cultural contextualization of these artistic manifestations in the region's late prehistory.