eng
Українська
русский

Rock paintings with images of creepy creatures 40 thousand years old discovered in Tanzania

Maria Tsikhotska

Rock paintings with images of creepy creatures 40 thousand years old discovered in Tanzania
Rock paintings

In the Swaga-Swaga Conservation Area in central Tanzania, rock paintings were discovered that raised questions among scientists. In addition to the usual animals that are usually depicted in such drawings, they included huge humanoid creatures with extremely large heads.

This is reported by Antiquity.

Some of the drawings were shaped with red pigment, with the exception of five figures that are white in color. The weathering of the red pigment indicates the age of the drawing, which may belong to the era of hunter-gatherer societies in this region.

The drawing depicts a variety of animals, such as antelopes, buffaloes, and a giraffe. However, special attention is drawn to three tall figures with large heads, which, according to scientists, have heads similar to those of buffaloes, but whose bodies look completely different from these animals.

Scientists claim that buffalo horns were used in certain Sandawe rituals. But according to experts, the images may have a completely different explanation.

Similar, but not so clear drawings of creatures with large heads have been found before, not far from Amakhi 4, in two places in the Kondoa region of central Tanzania, but there they seemed to be lying on the ground, not standing.

Read also: Archaeologists find 3000-year-old women's jewelry in Britain (photo)

Otherwise, the figures are similar: they are connected by a line running through their middle and have a similar arrangement and direction of the hands and arms.

However, the figures from Amakhi 4 have important differences: their heads are completely painted over and they are the center of the composition.

As a reminder, a rare treasure trove of medieval coins from the 11th century was found by a metal detectorist in Poland.

If you want to get the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine, subscribe to our Telegram channel!