Rupestrian Paintings from the Archaeological Area of Piripiri, Piauí, Brazil: A Current Overview

Abstract

The rural area from the municipality of Piripiri, in the state of Piauí, Northeastern Brazil, is known to contain several archaeological sites, which are essentially sandstone shelters and walls decorated with rupestrian paintings and engravings. Located in the Corrente stream margins, predominantly in the villages known as Buriti dos Cavalos, Cadoz Velho, and Jardim, the rocky monuments present high density of prehistoric inscriptions. The rupestrian paintings mainly represent abstract figures, spear throwers, human handprints, anthropomorphs and zoomorphs, in different hues of red, but also in yellow, black, gray (including greenish-gray), green-olive, white, pink, wine, dark-purple and orangish. Besides the polychromy, the ancient inscriptions exhibit frequent overlaps and recurrences of the motifs represented in the rocky supports. Eight archaeological sites are briefly presented and their main features are described.