Santa Catarina is a state in the South Region of Brazil. Of Brazil's 26 states, it is the 7th smallest state in total area and the 11th most populous. Additionally, it is the 9th largest settlement, with 295 municipalities. The state, with 3.4% of the Brazilian population. Santa Catarina is bordered by Paraná to the north, Rio Grande do Sul to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Argentine province of Misiones to the west. The coastline is over 450 km, i.e., about half of Portugal's mainland coast.
My trip with Brazilian Research Archaeologist Keler Lucas to see the unbelievably sophisticated Petroglyphs on the Island of Campeche turned out to be one of the great Artistic adventures of my life. The Petroglyphs of Campeche are truly wonderful works of Art. Who were the people who executed these extraordinary relief carvings, and when? In all probability these questions will never be solved as the passage of time has buried the answers.
I have reference was made to the protection of one rock art site. This is at the Beach Resort of Costao do Santinho, on the Island of Santa Catarina on the coast of Brazil. The Resort has used the Mask located in hotel grounds as their Logo and have erected a beautifully designed sunshade over the petroglyph. A wooden cat walk allows visitors to examine the works of rock art, but stops them from walking on it as they used to do.
Mr Marcondes, the Director and Vice-President of the Resort, is to be congratulated for arranging and financing this elegant example of protection and preservation of this wonderful work of rock art, the only such case in the whole of the area.
Hopefully his example will be followed by the Brazilian government in the near future, as these rock art treasures of World Heritage are disappearing before our eyes. The elegant structure both shades and protects from tourist's feet. In the background can be seen the Resort Hotel and the three mile long golden sandy beach that runs north to the Rocky headland.
I would like to leave the viewers with one other Mystery. My daughter-in-law once taught on the Polynesian Island of Samoa, where she brought a traditional native painting on Tapa, the inner bark of the paper mulberry. Is it just a coincidence that the Masks of Samoa are very similar to the Masks on the Santa Catarina Islands?
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→ South America Rock Art Archive
→ Rock Art of Serra da Capivara
→ Rock Art of Pedra Furada
→ World Heritage Site of Cueva de las Manos (The Cave of the Hands)
→ Rock Art of Bolivia
→ The Rock Art of Santa Catarina
→ The Checta Petroplyphs - Peru
→ Bradshaw Foundation
→ Rock Art Network
