The Archaeology & Petroglyphs of Santinho Island
Rock Art of Santa Catarina Southern Brazil

At the beginning of this section reference was made to the protection of one Site. This is at the Beach Resort of Costao do Santinho, on the island of Santa Catarina. The Resort has used the Mask located in hotel grounds as their Logo and have erected a beautifully designed sunshade over the petroglyph. A wooden cat walk allows visitors to examine the work of Art, but stops them from walking on it as they used to do. Mr Marcondes, the Director and Vice-President of the Resort, is to be congratulated for arranging and financing this elegant example of protection and preservation of this wonderful work of Art, the only such case in the whole of the area.
		Santinho Mask

			Elegant Structure
Santinho Mask

Hopefully his example will be followed by the Brazilian government in the near future, as these treasures of World Heritage are disappearing before our eyes. The elegant structure both shades and protects from tourist's feet. In the background can be seen the Resort Hotel and the three mile long golden sandy beach that runs north to the Rocky headland.

		Hour Glass
Squares & Wasted Snakes

At the northern end of the 3 mile long Santinho beach on the rocky headland are some wonderful petroglyphs like the Squares & Wasted Diamonds and the Hour Glass above, others are not so lucky. Some have been destroyed by tourist vandalism, while some are disappearing through natural causes of acid rain and sunshine, as you can see below.

			1998
1988

I would like to leave the viewers with one other Mystery. My daughter-in-law once taught on the Polynesian Island of Samoa, where she brought a traditional native painting on Tapa, the inner bark of the paper mulberry. Is it just a coincidence that the Masks of Samoa are very similar to the Masks of Campeche?