Cerro Azul is a unique archaeological site in the Serranía de la Lindosa in Colombia, South America. The 13 km stretch of cliff is covered with tens of thousands of rock art images. Painted with yellow and red ochre, the images include depictions of more than 20 different animals including deer, birds, peccary, lizards, turtles, and tapirs. The ‘art gallery’ also includes depictions of extinct species such as mastodons, giant sloths and ice-age horses.
Some images depict transformations between humans and animals, suggesting a complex belief system. Other images even show figures climbing ladders or palm trees, indicating how the artists were able to reach the high upper painted walls.
The site was first recorded in the 19th century and the wealth of images has led to the site being called “the Sistine Chapel of the Ancients”. In 2023-4 a British-Colombian team, including archaeologists from the University of Exeter, photographed a total of 3,223 images. These were catalogued and categorised and the results of the research were published in the online journal Archaeology News.
Archaeological evidence from the site, including artifacts and plant microfossils, indicates human occupation dating back to the end of the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene periods, approximately 12,200 years ago. However, it has also been suggested that the images are too well preserved to be so old and were probably made in the last 500 years.
Many more images can be found on the University of Exeter’s page at Google Arts and Culture:
