Researchers from the University of Cuenca have made what could be one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in Ecuadorian history – the country’s first recorded cave paintings. The groundbreaking discovery of over 30 ancient pictographs in Paute canton has opened a new chapter in understanding Ecuador’s pre-Columbian heritage and revealed the sophisticated cosmological worldview of the ancient Cañari people.
The unprecedented find emerged through the research project “Material culture, practices, social meanings and narratives around Cañari food,” developed by the University of Cuenca’s research group “Language, Cultures and Representations.” This interdisciplinary team identified a gallery of rock paintings featuring circular motifs, anthropomorphic figures, a monkey, a serpent, and solar and lunar figures that reveal the richness of the Cañari world and their profound connection with the landscape, records a University of Cuenca report.
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The initial inspection by the research team, led by archaeologist Miguel Novillo, has identified at least 30 distinct figures painted on the rock surface. The artwork depicts a fascinating array of subjects including anthropoligical and zoological images and astronomical symbols – motifs that appear throughout pre-Columbian South American cultures.
