Vast Network of Ancient Cities Discovered in the Amazon Rainforest
Archaeologists uncover a vast network of ancient cities, dating back 2,500 years, hidden deep in the Amazon rainforest These remarkable sites showcase advanced engineering and are part of a larger pattern found throughout the Americas
In the Amazon rainforest, archaeologists have uncovered a vast array of cities that are 2,500 years old. The organized pre-Hispanic settlements feature broad streets, straight roads, plazas, and clusters of large platforms. These findings were detailed in a study published in the journal Science.
Earthwork on Amazonian landscape.
Diego Lourenço Gurgel
24 ancient earthworks have been detected in the Amazon. There may be 10,000 more, scientists say
Over the course of more than two decades, a team from France, Germany, Ecuador, and Puerto Rico conducted investigations in the Amazon region, resulting in the discovery of the earliest and largest urban network of built and dug features in the area. The research involved fieldwork followed by the use of a remote sensing method known as light detection and ranging (lidar), which utilized laser light to detect structures hidden beneath the dense tree canopies.
Lead study author Stéphen Rostain, an archeologist and director of Research at Frances National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), regarded the discovery as "remarkable."
Advanced engineering
Rostain revealed to CNN on Friday that the Lidar provided a comprehensive view of the area, allowing them to fully grasp the immense size of the sites. He added that it revealed a "complete web" of ancient roads, calling it the icing on the cake. According to Rostain, the initial inhabitants, 3,000 years ago, had small, scattered dwellings.
Between around 500 BCE and 300 to 600 CE, the Kilamope and later Upano cultures initiated the construction of mounds and elevated their houses on earthen platforms, as detailed by the study authors. These platforms were arranged around a modest, square plaza.
University of Houston
Laser mapping reveals a forgotten Maya city in the jungle
LiDAR data uncovered over 6,000 platforms in the southern portion of the 232-square-mile area surveyed. The majority of the platforms were rectangular, with a few being circular, and had dimensions of approximately 20 meters by 10 meters (66 feet by 33 feet). Groups of three or six platforms were typically constructed around a plaza, with many of the plazas containing a central platform.
The team additionally found expansive complexes with larger platforms that were likely used for civic or ceremonial purposes. They also uncovered at least 15 clusters of complexes designated as settlements.
Some communities were safeguarded by moats, and obstacles were present on roads near certain large complexes, indicating the potential exposure to external threats or tensions between groups, according to the researchers. Additionally, even the most secluded complexes were connected by pathways and an extensive network of broad, straight roads with curbs.
The team discovered evidence of land cultivation, including drainage fields and terraces, in the open buffer zones between complexes. These features were connected to a network of footpaths, as revealed by the study.
University of Houston
Uncovering a lost Maya city in the jungle
"That's why I refer to this as garden cities," stated Rostain, adding, "It represents a complete shift in our perspective of the Amazon."
"We must understand that the Indigenous people in the rainforest were not simply semi-nomadic tribes lost in the forest foraging for food. There is a diverse range of cases, with some having urbanistic systems and a stratified society," he explained.
The study authors concluded that the overall organization of the cities suggests the existence of advanced engineering at the time, and that the garden urbanism of the Upano Valley provides further proof that Amazonia is not the pristine forest once depicted. Rostain emphasized that we should imagine pre-Columbian Amazonia like a nest of ants, with everybody busy with activities.
Similar sites found across the Americas
The recently unearthed urban network is in close harmony with similar sites unearthed in the tropical forests of Panama, Guatemala, Belize, Brazil, and Mexico. Landscape archeologist Carlos Morales-Aguilar, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, not involved in the study, made this observation.
Describing the study as "groundbreaking," he told CNN that it offers solid proof of early, sophisticated urban planning in the Amazon and greatly enhances our comprehension of the cultural and environmental heritage of Indigenous societies in the area. In 2022, Morales-Aguilar collaborated with a group of researchers to utilize LiDAR technology and reveal an expansive site in northern Guatemala, which included numerous interconnected ancient Mayan cities, towns, and villages, as well as a network of raised stone trails spanning 110 miles (177 kilometers) and connecting the communities.
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