Do you see faces in the rock? It’s not your imagination!

The Amazon region of Brazil is in a terrible drought. The Negro River runs through the area. It is lower than ever. Now people can see old carvings in the black rocks along the river banks in the rural area of Manaus.

Negro means black in Spanish. A Spanish explorer named the river more than 400 years ago. The river is the color of Coca-Cola or dark tea.

The petroglyphs (rock carvings) first were spotted in 2010. That’s when another bad drought struck the region. After rain came, water re-covered the rocks. People didn’t see the carvings again until the current drought. 

The pictures represent human faces, animals, and other figures, archaeologists say. They could be 1,000 to 2,000 years old. The carvers may have used other rocks at the site to sharpen arrows and stone tools.

“They allow us to understand the way of life” of people who lived long ago, archaeologist Jaime de Santana Oliveira says.

Amazonas is a state in northwestern Brazil. Low river levels in that area turned rivers into sand banks and mud. That makes it hard for many people to get around. Government workers scrambled to get food and water to communities.

Boats must dock miles from towns. People have to walk much longer distances.

Plus, some people set fires to clear land. Many of those fires are illegal. They make temperatures hotter. Locals have to breathe smoky air. Without rain, the air quality gets worse.

Pray that God will provide rain that residents need. And thank Him for giving us ways to learn about people who lived in ancient times.

Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are you not He, O Lord our God? We set our hope on you, for you do all these things. — Jeremiah 14:22