Location: Shea, Rupununi
Classification: Natural Site
Period/ Year Built: Not Applicable
Historical Background / Description:
Shea Rock is a rocky hill found in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo, Rupununi district in the small Amerindian community of Shea. The small mountain measures 200 metres (676 feet) at its highest peak and is approximately 304.8 metres (1,000 feet) above the savannah.
The rock is considered a sacred shrine within the Indigenous community. Located to the north of the mountain is a religious ritual site and on its eastern side, a large rock shelter can be found. Rock shelters were used for funerary rituals by past Indigenous generations. Shea Rock also contains an extensive amount of pictographic rock art, painted in red and orange. Dry deposits of Aeolian sediments containing faunal remains of small animals and birds; along with pottery sherds and chipped stone tools can be found within the vicinity of the rock shelter.