(Observer.com ) "A man died, and an entire untouched tribe disappeared in Brazilian ." The US "New York Times " reported on August 29 that an indigenous person living in the depths of the Amazon rainforest and known as the "Indio do Buraco" has recently passed away.
As the last survivor of an unknown tribe in the Brazilian rainforest, the "Caveman" is also known by the outside world as "the loneliest person in the world". His death means that Brazil has witnessed the death of the first recorded untouched tribe.
New York Times report screenshot
Report said that the "Caveman" strongly resisted external contact, so no one knew his name, race and language. His age is also an unknown, and he is speculated from his appearance that he is about 60 years old. The title "Caveman" comes from the unique living habits of this indigenous person. He always digs a hole of unknown purpose in the hut he built.
Brazilian Indigenous Affairs Administration reported that staff members were patrolling the Aboriginal area of Tanaru, Rondoña on the 23rd and found the body of the indigenous man lying in a hammock in a thatched hut, with unknown cause of death. There were no signs of other people visiting near the hut, and there were no signs of fighting at the scene. Therefore, the agency speculated that the "Caveman" was likely to be a natural death.
In a statement, the agency said that criminal experts have rushed to the scene to investigate and the body of the indigenous man will be subsequently sent to the capital Brasilia for an autopsy. Anonymous officials revealed that the Indigenous Affairs Administration will also conduct DNA testing on the bodies and will send the bodies back to the Amazon rainforest to be buried after work.
reported that the "Caveman"'s body was covered with many feathers, so some experts believe that he may have been prepared for death. "Is he waiting for his own death?" said Brazilian indigenous expert Marcelo dos Santos. "No one can explain it clearly. We have never communicated, and we have not even communicated with people from other tribes, and we cannot understand him in depth. So we cannot determine the reason."
The Brazilian Indigenous Affairs Administration first discovered the "caveman" in the Tanaru Aboriginal area of Rondogia in 1996, but the latter was unwilling to communicate with the outside world. "We traveled all over the area and found the house where he took refuge," Santos recalled. "We wanted to establish a conversation and provide some corn and arrows, but he was very scared and showed off his aggression. We had to respect his withdrawal."
According to records collected by Santos, the tribe to which the "Caveman" belonged to had contact with nearby farmers in the 1970s, but the tribe was attacked by invaders many times. Finally, in an attack in the early 1990s, about six remaining members of the tribe were shot and killed, and the "Caveman" became the only survivor of the tribe and the "loneliest person in the world."
But since the indigenous person refused to communicate with the outside world, no one knew his name, tribal name, language, culture and other information. Judging from his appearance, he is about 60 years old.
Data picture: In 2018, staff from the Brazilian Indigenous Affairs Administration took a photo of "Caveman" during an encounter
The title "Caveman" originated from the living habit of this indigenous person digging holes everywhere. Brazil's "G1" news network said that in the past 26 years, staff from the Brazilian Indigenous Affairs Administration discovered that he had built 53 thatched huts, each with a hole in the room. But what is confusing is that the "Caveman" never sleeps in the hole, nor puts anything in the hole.
"The first thing he had to do was dig a hole and then build a house." Altair Algayer, coordinator of the Indigenous Affairs Administration, who monitored the "Cavemen", recalled. "Obviously, this behavior has no effect in our eyes. But I guess it may have something to do with his beliefs."
Santos mentioned that the ornaments and utensils used by the "Cavemen" are very similar to the indigenous groups in the Tanaru area, but the caves in the house look different.Some analysts speculate that the caves in the hut may also be hiding places for "cavemen" to take refuge.
The BBC (BBC) said that "cave people" also dig holes in the jungle, and some holes are equipped with spikes at the bottom. Such holes are generally considered to be traps for hunting. In addition, staff from the Indigenous Affairs Administration found that the "Cavemen" would plant crops such as corn, cassava or fruits such as papaya, bananas outside some thatched huts, and would also collect honey.
The thatched hut built by the "Cavemen" in the rainforest Picture from the hole dug by the Brazilian Indigenous Affairs Administration
The land of the "Cavemen" dug in the hut Picture from the Brazilian "G1" News Network
Since 1997, the Brazilian government has taken protective measures on about 8,000 hectares of land inhabited by the "Cavemen" to restrict entry of outsiders. But in 2009, an outpost in the area of the Indigenous Affairs Administration was still attacked by foreign armed groups, and the attackers also left bullets at the scene to demonstrate threats.
As the last survivor of an unknown primitive tribe, the death of the "Caveman" marks the death of Brazil's first recorded untouched tribe. The so-called "uninfected tribe" refers to a group that does not have continuous sexual contact with the outside world.
But some experts warn that with no knowledge, it is likely that other isolated untouched tribes have quietly become extinct.
The New York Times said that the Brazilian Indigenous Affairs Administration reported signs of activity of at least 114 isolated primitive tribes, but only 28 of them were confirmed, and the remaining 86 tribes have never been protected by the Brazilian government. As Brazilian President Bolsonaro Bolsonaro vigorously promotes the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, the damage area of the world's largest tropical rainforest is increasing day by day, posing a greater threat to the survival of the indigenous people in the rainforest.
"Many of these peoples have become extinct, and even the state and society have not realized that they have become extinct, which is a very serious problem." Guilherme Martins, an expert at the Brazilian Indigenous Affairs Administration, said, "As long as the administration does not formally confirm the indigenous people, they cannot protect their land, and they cannot establish bases or demarcate land."
Even among the protected indigenous tribes, some cannot avoid the fate of extinction. The New York Times mentioned that the Piripkura tribe, which lives in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, has only three survivors, one woman who is unable to give birth to a child and two men, and the tribe is destined to disappear.
The British "Guardian " said that the number of existing indigenous tribes in Brazil is about 235 to 300, but because some tribes have little contact with non-indigenous societies, the exact number is still unknown. At least 30 tribes live deep in the Amazon rainforest, and the outside world knows little about their number, language or culture.
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