Archaeologists have discovered a extensive network of ancient cities dating back 2,500 years ago and located deep in the Amazon rainforest.
According to a new Study, highly structured pre-hispanic settlements, with large roads, squares and clusters monumental platforms in the Upano Valley, in the eastern foothills of the Andes.
This is the discovery of the oldest and largest urban network in the Amazon so far. Archaeologists from the France, Germany, Ecuador and Puerto Rico have been exploring the area for more than two decades.
The investigation started with on-site work and later a method called light detection and ranging or lidar, which uses light laser to detect structures beneath the dense foliage of trees.
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The archaeologist and lead author of the study, Stephen Rostain, described the discovery of the city network as "incredible“. “The lidar gave us an overview of the area and we were able to get a much better estimate of the size of the sites", he told CNN on Friday, adding that he showed them a "complete tissue" from dug up roads.
Rostain said that the first people who lived in these ancient cities in the Amazon, 3,000 years ago, had small, scattered houses. However, later, between 500 BC and 300 to 600 AD, the cultures of Kilamope and Upano began to build dikes and place their houses on earthen platforms. These platforms were found organized around a low, square square square.
The researchers discovered more than 6,000 platforms in the southern half of the area surveyed.
The platforms were mostly rectangular, although some were circular, measuring about 20 by 10 metres. Usually they were built around a square in groups of three or six. Squares also often had a central platform.
The team also discovered monumental complexes which were probably used in various rituals.
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At least 15 complexes were discovered that were identified as settlements. Some of them were protected by ditches, while there were obstacles to roads near some of the big bands. Even the most isolated complexes were connected by paths and an extensive network of larger, straight, curbed roads.
In the empty zones between the complexes, the archaeologists found features cultivation land.
“For this reason, I call this place cities", said Rostain, who added: "It is a complete revolution in our example for the Amazon."
“We have to think that all the indigenous people in the tropics forest were not semi-nomadic tribes lost in the forest, searching for food. There is a wide variety, diversity of cases and some were also with (an) urban system", he said.
In fact, the researchers believe that the organisation of cities suggests "the existence of advanced engineering" at that time.
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In general, this discovery is important for the archaeology as it opens up new horizons for research. The discovery of such a large network of ancient cities in the Amazon shows that the prehistoric societies were much more complex and organised than many scientists thought.
In addition, this discovery may change the the way we understand the history of humanity. Until now, the prevailing view has been that the Amazon regions were relatively isolated and that the communities living there were simple and scattered. This new discovery shows that ancient Amazonian societies were able to create large and complex structures, which overturns previous theories.
At the same time it helps us to better understand the cultural and environmental legacy of the indigenous societies in this region.
Source: edition.cnn.com
