Lagoa Santa, Archaeological site in Minas Gerais, Brazil
Lagoa Santa is a city in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, located about 37 kilometers (23 miles) north of the state capital Belo Horizonte. The urban area spreads around a central lake and connects residential zones with green areas and limestone formations in the surroundings.
People have lived in this region for more than ten thousand years, and archaeologists have found skeletons and tools from prehistoric times here. The modern settlement began in the 18th century when Jesuits built a chapel near the lake.
The name comes from a legend about the healing powers of the lake, and many locals still maintain traditions around the water today. In the neighborhoods around the shore you see the connection between residents and the landscape that shapes daily life.
The Tancredo Neves International Airport is just a few kilometers to the south, so travelers can reach the city quickly. Most points of interest are close together, and a walk around the lake takes less than an hour.
Below the surface lies a karst area with more than a hundred caves, some of which preserve human remains from the Ice Age. In one of these caves researchers discovered a female skeleton considered the oldest in South America.
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