lost cities

Located in the Upano Valley in eastern Ecuador, these settlements are part of a network of intertwined roads, canals and raised earth platforms covering an area of ​​185 square kilometers. Radiocarbon analyzes indicate that the settlements date back to B.C. It shows that it was founded in 500-300 BC. People lived there for perhaps a thousand years, until 600 AD.

It’s not easy to find anything in the Amazon, let alone ancient ruins. A thick forest carpet hides everything that can be seen from above, and gradually accumulating layers of soil buried all ancient structures for a long time.

To detect them, researchers used a device called LIDAR (Light Identification, Detection and Ranging). For example, they are used in modern electric cars to recognize terrain, objects and creatures in the environment, and the distance to objects. The system emits special signals and captures their reflection, creating a two-dimensional or three-dimensional map of the surrounding area.

Using LIDAR from an aircraft, More than 6,000 earthen platforms discovered. These platforms can range from embankments for houses to elevated roads. Advanced agricultural technologies, such as canals to direct rainwater, are also clearly visible in the region.

Although archaeologists say they are different cities, in the image they published, the find looks more like a large city divided by rivers. The pattern of rivers need not even be the same as it was 2000 years ago.

LIDAR scan result / Photo: Antoine Dorison and Stephen Rostain

Estimates of the population of this region vary. In general, archaeologists believe that at its peak it could accommodate at least 10,000 people, while others estimate the figure at 30,000. These are impressive figures comparable to the population of London in Roman times.

However, due to the historically empty Amazon, these important settlements were overlooked for centuries. Archaeologists today attribute this misconception to the extermination of the indigenous population by European colonists, as well as the lack of access to stone in the area believed to be necessary for the construction of large structures. He used soil.

Eduardo Neves, an archaeologist at the University of São Paulo who was not involved in the research, says the study is not only a boon for archeology, but also for the conservation of endangered rainforests. “Part of the devastation is based on the idea that the Amazon was never really inhabited in the past, that there were never very many people there, so it was supposedly open for the taking. I think that kind of work is really important because it shows that the Amazon is an empty place.” proof that it is notsays the scientist.