Anthropomorphism in the Rio Guayabero Petroglyphs
In 2009, I was traveling in the Meta department of Colombia.
My goal was the magnificent Caño Cristales, one of the paradisiacal spots in the Andean country. Caño Cristales (a tributary of the Guayabero River), which winds through an area of rare scenic beauty, is famous for the colorful algae present in its riverbed. There are algae with shades of red, yellow, orange, and even blue, whose brilliant colors reflect in the water, creating spectacular displays of light.
Upon arriving in the small town of La Macarena, flying in a shaky Cessna plane, I settled into a modest hotel and contacted my guide.
The next day, I visited Caño Cristales on a hike that lasted about 10 hours, including the round trip.
Later, my guide informed me that by traveling up the Guayabero River for about two hours on a small boat, it was possible to see some strange rock carvings whose origin and age were unknown.
I decided to rent a small boat to reach the site of these petroglyphs. I set off with a small group of Colombians who were also interested in observing the mysterious carvings my guide had mentioned.
After about an hour of navigating upstream along the Guayabero River (further downstream known as the Guaviare River, a tributary of the Orinoco River), our small boat entered a narrow canyon (called a raudal), where the current was very strong, and the depth reached its maximum. While observing the steep rocky walls that formed the river’s natural bed, our boat struggled to advance against the current.
After about half an hour of challenging navigation, the river widened again, and we docked on a rocky plain to our left.
We immediately observed large anthropomorphic petroglyphs, as well as carvings depicting zoomorphic and abstract figures.
The zoomorphic figures primarily feature birds (symbols of closeness to God) and monkeys (symbols of fertility). Notably, unlike other South American petroglyphs, there are no carvings of snakes—possibly due to the complete absence of ophidians in the area of the Serranía de la Macarena and the middle course of the Guayabero River.
What struck me the most, however, were the anthropomorphic figures: 25 humanoid shapes of varying sizes, ranging from 30 centimeters to two meters.
On the main plateau, the anthropomorphic figures were carved close to one another, almost as if representing some sort of tribal council of elders. Among them, a central figure stands out due to its size, possibly symbolizing the cacique or tribal chief.
However, the depiction of anthropomorphic subjects might also follow other interpretations, such as the concept of anthropomorphism.
Typically, anthropomorphism refers to attributing human traits and characteristics to divine beings.
It’s possible, therefore, that the ancient creators of these petroglyphs intended to represent their gods, or their pantheon, in anthropomorphic form.
The Guayabero River region was once inhabited by various indigenous groups such as the Guayaberos, Tinigua, Majigua, and Churoyes, all of whom unfortunately became extinct over the centuries, largely due to the unintentional introduction of new viruses and bacteria by European colonizers.
The earliest historical account of the peoples living in the Guayabero River basin comes from the German Jorge Espira, a conquistador in the service of the Wesler family (moneylenders to King Charles V of Spain) in 1536.
In his account of his adventurous journey, Jorge Espira described a battle fought by the Spaniards against the fearsome Choques, in which they lost several men and were forced to retreat.
In my opinion, the creators of these masterful carvings likely predate the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.
The Guayabero River petroglyphs (also referred to as Angostura I and II) are currently the only evidence we have of little-known and underappreciated ancestral cultures.
These ancient carvings are also unique, as they depict 25 anthropomorphic figures, unlike any other petroglyph in the New World.
What message were the creators of this remarkable carving trying to convey to future generations? Perhaps their petroglyph was nothing more than a sacred site of worship, where the elders gathered to pray to their gods, depicted as human-like, much like in most ancient cultures.
Unfortunately, no archaeological excavations have yet been conducted in the Guayabero River region, which could provide us with more information about the creators of these mysterious petroglyphs.
YURI LEVERATTO
