Portuguese 
A childhood memory of a 17-year-old student leads researchers to a little-known area of the semi-arid region of Bahia, where various archaeological remains began revealing clues about human occupations that still challenge science.
A memory kept since a family outing eventually took researchers to a location that had not appeared in the known archaeological records of the area in Xique-Xique, northern Bahia.
The journey began with Cassiano Santos da Conceição, 17, a high school student at the Baiano Federal Institute (IF Baiano), who told a teacher about paintings he had seen years before near a creek in the community of Rumo.
When a team decided to verify the report, they found more than the drawings mentioned by the young man.
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In the same location appeared rock art, a stone polisher, and fragments of pre-colonial ceramics, remnants that help researchers investigate how different human groups occupied the semi-arid region of Bahia in the past.
The site was named Olhos D’Água Archaeological Site and its registration was submitted and recognized in the official system of the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (Iphan), as announced by IF Baiano in August 2026.
The discovery also draws attention due to the manner in which it began: not from a planned excavation in an area already known to archaeology, but from the memory of a teenager who had visited the place with family years before.
A memory from 2020 led researchers to the Olhos D’Água site
Cassiano lives in the Rumo community, where the studied area is located.
His first contact with the place occurred in 2020, when he visited the Olhos D’Água Creek accompanied by his father and other family members.
At the time, that visit was not part of a scientific research.
Years later, as a student at IF Baiano, Cassiano participated in the Assuruá Project, an initiative dedicated to identifying, cataloging, and studying archaeological sites in the Irecê territory and surrounding municipalities.
It was in this environment that the memory of the paintings resurfaced in conversation.
The student reported to Professor Romeu Leite, the project coordinator, what he had seen at the creek.
This information was enough to spark the team’s interest and motivate a technical visit.
The first expedition took place on April 27, 2026, according to information released about the project’s work.
Cassiano told g1 that he was pleased to have contributed to the recognition of the site and to be able to showcase aspects of his own region that he considered important.
The student also stated that the experience has increased his interest in science and that he plans to attend university to study Agronomy.
Rock Art, Stone Polisher, and Ceramics Discovered
The team arrived at the site initially interested in the paintings mentioned by the student.
However, during the visit, the researchers identified additional archaeological elements in the same environment.
Among these were rock paintings associated with the São Francisco Tradition, along with a stone structure used for polishing and later, ceramic fragments.
The paintings include human figures, representations of animals, and geometric designs.
Some of the records were worn down by natural exposure over time, necessitating the use of digital resources to enhance traces of the pigments and facilitate analysis.
The presence of the drawings is just one of the insights provided by the site.
The stone polisher discovered by the researchers consists of a rock area used in the process of shaping and finishing stone tools.
In simple terms, the surface operated as a place where materials could be ground and shaped until they acquired the desired form for a specific use.
During another visit to the area, a different trail led the team to ceramic fragments, expanding the documented collection of remains.
According to the researchers, this material could contribute to studies aimed at understanding which groups inhabited the region and how that occupation occurred.
Water Spring Draws Attention in Xique-Xique’s Semiarid Region
The setting where the remains were found provided another important insight for the research.
In addition to the rock formations, there is a water spring at the site, a feature considered significant for understanding human occupation of the area.
Romeu Leite stated that the team was unaware of both the archaeological site’s existence at that location and the presence of the spring in that low-altitude mountain range.
According to the researcher, human groups sought out areas where there were conditions to obtain water and food.
He described the location as a kind of oasis within the semiarid landscape of Xique-Xique, a municipality strongly associated with the scenery of the São Francisco Valley.
The relationship between water and human occupation is one of the reasons why waterways, rock shelters, and areas near the São Francisco River frequently appear in archaeological research conducted in the Northeast.
Iphan has highlighted that the São Francisco basin contains a large number of archaeological assets and records human occupations spanning thousands of years.
At the Olhos D’Água site, however, the exact age of the remains has not yet been determined.
This difference is significant.
The existence of very ancient sites in other parts of the basin does not automatically imply that the paintings, ceramics, or structures found in Xique-Xique are the same age.
Ceramics Can Help Identify Ancient Human Occupations
The fragments found during the research are especially useful because characteristics of the ceramics can provide insights into production techniques and traditions linked to different populations.
Still, the researchers responsible for the project did not indicate which specific group might have lived in or traveled through Olhos D’Água.
Romeu Leite explained that a succession of populations occupied the region over hundreds or thousands of years, which necessitates more in-depth studies before any identification can be made.
As of the last update provided by the project, there was no set dating for the archaeological site.
The initial work is primarily documentation and identification, without interventions that would answer all questions regarding the age of the materials.
The team mentioned the possibility that future partnerships with archaeologists and other institutions could facilitate new research and methods capable of expanding this knowledge.
Thus, paintings, ceramics, and stone polishers should not be interpreted in isolation as pieces of a completely understood story.
They serve as evidence that can guide further investigations into human presence in that area of the semi-arid region.
Registration with Iphan Officializes Archaeological Site in Xique-Xique
After field visits, the team gathered technical information about the site.
Photographic records, area descriptions, location data, and boundaries of the space identified as an archaeological site were produced.
The documentation was submitted to Iphan.
This federal institute is responsible for recognizing and registering Brazilian archaeological heritage.
Under current regulations, archaeological discoveries must be reported to the agency, and the official registry compiles information intended for the identification and management of these assets.
In the case of Olhos D’Água, IF Baiano reported that the site is now included in Iphan’s official registry of archaeological sites.
The registration does not conclude the research.
In practice, it officially documents the area’s existence and creates a reference for future work by archaeologists and other researchers.
Rock Paintings Show Signs of Wear
Some of the identified paintings show wear caused by exposure to the environment.
Sun, rain, and other natural processes continuously affect rock surfaces, which can reduce the visibility of pigments over time.
For this reason, the photographic documentation performed by the team also serves a documentary purpose.
Romeu Leite explained that cataloging allows for an initial characterization of the site and creates materials that can be consulted by other professionals interested in researching it.
The professor also highlighted the involvement of local residents in the conservation of the space and noted that the discovery has sparked interest among people from the town itself.
The location features various types of evidence within a relatively small area.
According to the researcher, paintings, stone polishers, and ceramics appear within less than a kilometer, a combination that allows for the observation of multiple types of evidence of human presence.
