THE AUTHENTICITY OF PALEOLITHIC ROCK ART: A LOOK AT THE SITES OF THE SERRA DA CAPIVARA NATIONAL PARK - PI

Abstract

The study of rock art, found in paintings and engravings of shelters and caves, has been the subject of debate since the 19th century, most notably the discovery of Altamira, Spain, and, later, the sites of Serra da Capivara National Park, Piauí. In these regions, different graphic traditions have been identified—Northeast, Agreste, Geometric, and Itacoatiara—which reveal the cultural diversity of the human groups that inhabited the territory between 12,000 and 2,000 years ago. The representations include human figures, animals, hunting scenes, rituals, as well as difficult-to-interpret geometric graphics, organized into styles and subtraditions that vary according to time and space. More than a simple aesthetic expression, rock art constitutes a symbolic record of the social, spiritual, and cultural life of its creators, and is today considered a fundamental heritage of humanity and an indispensable source for understanding the origins and collective memory of prehistoric peoples.