(CNN) — Prehistoric humans in Brazil carved drawings into rock next to dinosaur footprints, suggesting they may have found them meaningful or interesting, according to a new study.
The rock carvings, known as petroglyphs, were discovered at a site called Serrote do Letreiro in Paraíba, Brazil. The footprints found next to the petroglyphs belong to dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period, which ended 66 million years ago.
Archaeologists have long debated whether indigenous people in ancient times were aware of their environment or displayed scientific curiosity. Leonardo Troiano, co-author of the study and archaeologist at the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute of Brasilia, believes that the petroglyphs indicate a level of interest and curiosity in the footprints by prehistoric humans.
The unique association between the petroglyphs and dinosaur footprints at Serrote do Letreiro could have significant implications for studies of paleontology, archaeology, and cultural heritage. The petroglyphs at the site exhibit various shapes, some resembling plants while others show geometric forms like squares and circles with crosses or lines inside.
The footprints found at Serrote do Letreiro belong to three types of dinosaurs, including theropods, sauropods, and ornithopods. Researchers speculate that the ancient people who created the petroglyphs may have mistaken some of the footprints for those of large birds similar to ostriches.
Troiano suggests that the petroglyphs may have been created during communal gatherings and could have been influenced by rituals involving psychotropic plants. He is currently working on further analysis and interpretation of the petroglyphs at Serrote do Letreiro.
Experts in the field, like Radosław Palonka from Jagiellonian University in Poland and Jan Simek from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, believe that the unique association between the petroglyphs and dinosaur footprints sheds light on how ancient cultures observed and incorporated landscape fossils into their beliefs and interpretations. The discovery in Brazil adds to the growing body of evidence showing the human tendency to link the spiritual world with the natural world around us.