The Amazon Rainforest, an expanse covering roughly 2.5 million square miles, has long posed challenges for archaeologists seeking remnants of ancient civilizations. Dense foliage and aggressive ecosystem cycles make it nearly impossible to find evidence of past human activity, as organic materials degrade quickly, leaving few traces. Yet, new technology is changing the narrative. Advanced Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) techniques are revealing a hidden Amazon, exposing forgotten settlements buried beneath centuries of vegetation.
Rediscovering an Ancient Civilization
In a groundbreaking find, archaeologists recently uncovered a 2,500-year-old civilization nestled along the eastern foothills of the Andes, specifically within Ecuador’s Upano Valley. LIDAR scans have captured an intricate series of ancient earthworks, many containing “terra preta” or “dark earth,” a rich, carbon-sequestering soil cultivated by Indigenous communities. This soil remains a valuable legacy of sustainable land management in the Amazon, demonstrating how ancient peoples harmonized with the forest environment.
A Lost Portuguese Colony Emerges
In an even more recent discovery, archaeologist Eduardo Neves from the University of São Paulo unearthed the remnants of a long-lost Portuguese colonial town in Rondônia, Brazil. As part of his Amazônia Revelada project, Neves and his team use LIDAR technology to create detailed maps of the Amazon Basin, bringing forgotten historical sites back into focus. The team identified the foundations of what might have once been streets, buildings, and public spaces. Speaking to the Brazilian news site Metrópoles, Neves described the location as an overgrown landscape, once abandoned to the forest, its stone blocks scavenged over time.
“It was abandoned, the forest took over, and the stone blocks were removed,” Neves said. “With our maps, we were able to identify the layout of the streets of this city, which was also a fascinating discovery.”
Interpreting the Unseen Patterns
The LIDAR scans highlighted square and circular shapes within the settlement, which Neves and his team continue to investigate. Although some features are likely cultivation areas or dwellings, certain formations remain enigmatic. Neves points out that similar patterns have been documented in Bolivia, but this is the first evidence of such structures on the Brazilian side of the Amazon.
“They could be areas of cultivation or perhaps places of habitation, but we will have to go back to the field to excavate and better understand their meaning,” he explained.
Safeguarding Amazonian Heritage
With the help of local Indigenous groups, Neves’ team is committed to preserving these newly uncovered sites. This partnership, essential for granting permission to conduct LIDAR surveys over protected areas, also aims to elevate the significance of these archaeological finds as part of Brazil’s national heritage.
“We’re finding archeological sites everywhere we go in the Amazon region. The question is what to do with them,” Neves stated, addressing the urgent need to catalog and protect these sites before deforestation or unauthorized excavations can cause further harm.
What Lies Ahead for Amazon Archaeology?
Neves’ findings are part of a larger movement to understand the Amazon’s past through groundbreaking technology. For centuries, Western archaeology overlooked this region, underestimating its historical richness. Now, with LIDAR transforming our approach, the rainforest is revealing itself not only as a natural wonder but as a complex tapestry of human history. What new chapters will these discoveries write in the story of humanity’s resilience and adaptation?
Did you know? Some ancient Amazonian civilizations practiced sustainable agricultural techniques that enriched the soil—a model that modern science is only beginning to understand.
