Brazil - Amazon Cave Paintings

(5 Jul 1996) RR9627/D - BRAZIL: AMAZON CAVE PAINTINGS (Dur: 7 min 14 sec/ english sot: 59 sec/ portuguese sot 26 sec) Music: 1. Authentic South America 5 - The Amazon SAS046 Tk. 15 "Pana Rubber"/ 0338-0430. 2. Authentic South America 5 The Amazon SAS046 Tk 31 "Flute Music"/0645 Deep in the Amazonian rainforest something stirs. An American archaeologist, Dr Anna Roosevelt, grand-daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, United States President from 1901 to 1909, is making extraordinary claims on the origins of the first Amazonians. Far from being cousins of tribesmen who migrated from North America for a better life, natives of the region were flourishing here 11,000 years ago, just as the first humans were settling in the area now known as the United States. The evidence: ancient cave paintings in a remote part of northeastern Brazil known for years but only recently accurately dated by Dr Anna Roosevelt and her team using radio-carbon techniques. The sophistication of the paintings and the range of subjects suggest a highly developed community living on fruit, nuts and fish. According to Dr Roosevelt, this overturns the traditional theory that South America was uninhabited by humans until big game hunting north American tribes learned to penetrate the dense tropical rainforest. SHOWS: Brazil, recent: cliffs in the Amazon rainforest; details of cave paintings; archaeologist Dr Anna Roosevelt and team; graphic showing migration of first humans in north and south america; Dr Anna Roosevelt sot; carved arrow heads; aerial views Amazon basin; man-made rock pillar; truck stuck in mud; archaeologists walk into cave; local guide Nelson Sadek sot, in Portugese with English translation; cave paintings detail; Dr Anna Roosevelt; Roosevelt demonstrates hand painting; Dr. Roosevelt sot; local group of jungle dwelling people; market views, fish, fruit; Dr Roosevelt sot; aerial views Amazon basin; band on airfield; Dr Roosevelt gets out of plane, greeted by reception committee; church; cliffs and paintings. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...