How were the paintings made?
Discoveries and theories about how the rock art of La Lindosa was painted
Excavation (2021-11-12) by Daniel Fiore, SEARCHUniversity of Exeter
Many mysteries surround the paintings at La Lindosa. By studying the paintings, excavating around the site, and working together with local indigenous people, archaeologists have been able to make some deductions about the materials and techniques used by the makers.
Wildlife on the Principal panel (2021-11-15) by Pete Kelsey, SEARCHUniversity of Exeter
Canvas
The rock artists chose a surface which would allow their work to be clear and eye-catching. They painted on areas of vertical rock face where the sandstone was fine-grained and compacted, giving them a smooth working surface and a pale background.
The Principal Panel (2022-01-27) by Daniel Fiore, SEARCHUniversity of Exeter
Pigment
For most of the paintings at La Lindosa the artists used a red pigment made from ochre, an iron ore which has been used by humans around the world for thousands of years. Ochre is ground up and mixed with oil or water to turn it into paint.
Ochre fragment
This piece of ochre was found by archaeologists at La Lindosa amongst the earliest evidence of human habitation on the site. The marks on this fragment show that someone scraped ochre from it to make paint.
Ancient paintings
This fragment of fallen rock with ochre painting still visible on it was found in the excavations at Cerro Montoya. It dates to around 10,200 years ago, indicating that people were painting in Cerro Azul from at least that time.
Dots on the Principal Panel (2022) by ERC LASTJOURNEY projectUniversity of Exeter
Tools
People applied paint to the rock faces using several tools and techniques, each achieving different effects. Some lines were made with a brush or stick, others with fingers.
In some places it is clear to see that solid images were made by first outlining and then filling in a shape.
Working at height
Paintings are sometimes found beyond the reach of a standing human. To access these heights, the painters probably used wooden ladders and towers.
This tower, shown on the Demoledores panel, is another example of the kind of structure that may have been used to access high places for painting.
Illustration by Nestor Rotsen (2022) by ERC LASTJOURNEY projectUniversity of Exeter
Artists at work
This artist’s reconstruction imagines how people may have created paintings at La Lindosa. Painting was probably not an isolated act. It was most likely accompanied by other activities, including meditation, chanting, singing, dancing, storytelling, and teaching by shamans.
Small handprints
Handprints are found all around La Lindosa, sometimes with blank areas or spirals made by removing paint from the palm. Some of the handprints are small enough to have been made by children.
Finger dots
As well as painting with sticks and other tools, the artists used their fingers. Here, a person finger-paints rows of dots above a wavy line. Groups of finger dots at La Lindosa may represent energy flows or magical substances.
Ladders
To reach the heights at which some of the rock art is painted, ladders and other wooden structures seem to have been used.
Processing pigment
This person is processing ochre using heat, crushing, and sifting until it reaches the right colour and texture to be mixed into paint.
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