Huge ancient city found in the Amazon
An expansive ancient city concealed by dense vegetation has been unearthed in the Amazon, challenging our understanding of the region’s historical habitation.
Located in the Upano area of eastern Ecuador, the interconnected houses and plazas of this city were linked by an impressive network of roads and canals, revealing a previously unknown aspect of Amazonian civilization.
Situated in the shadow of a volcano that both enriched local soils and potentially led to the demise of the society, this discovery alters the prevailing notion that Amazonian inhabitants were predominantly nomadic or resided in small settlements.
Professor Stephen Rostain, who spearheaded the investigation at the National Centre for Scientific Research in France, emphasizes the significance of this find in reshaping perspectives on culture and civilization.
The city constructed approximately 2,500 years ago, sustained a population for up to a millennium, challenging preconceptions about ancient Amazonian societies characterized by small, primitive settlements.
This LiDAR technology found 6,000 rectangular platforms measuring about 20m (66 ft) by 10m (33 ft) and 2-3m high.
They were arranged in groups of three to six units around a plaza with a central platform.
The scientists believe many were homes, but some were for ceremonial purposes. One complex, at Kilamope, included a 140m (459 ft) by 40m (131 ft) platform.
They were built by cutting into hills and creating a platform of earth on top.
A network of straight roads and paths connected many of the platforms, including one that extended 25km (16 miles).
Dr Dorison said these roads were the most striking part of the research.
“The road network is very sophisticated. It extends over a vast distance, everything is connected. And there are right angles, which is very impressive,” he says, explaining that it is much harder to build a straight road than one that fits in with the landscape.
He believes some had a “very powerful meaning”, perhaps linked to a ceremony or belief.
The scientists also identified causeways with ditches on either side which they believe were canals that helped manage the abundant water in the region.
There were signs of threats to the cities – some ditches blocked entrances to the settlements, and may be evidence of threats from nearby people.
Researchers first found evidence of a city in the 1970s, but this is the first time a comprehensive survey has been completed, after 25 years of research.
It reveals a large, complex society that appears to be even bigger than the well-known Mayan societies in Mexico and Central America.
“Imagine that you discovered another civilization like the Maya, but with completely different architecture, land use, ceramics,” says José Iriarte, a professor of archaeology at the University of Exeter, who was not involved in this research.
Some of the findings are “unique” for South America, he explains, pointing to the octagonal and rectangular platforms arranged together.
The societies were well-organized and interconnected, he says, highlighting the long sunken roads between settlements.
Not a huge amount is known about the people who lived there and what their societies were like.
Pits and hearths were found in the platforms, as well as jars, stones to grind plants and burnt seeds.
The Kilamope and Upano people living there probably mostly focused on agriculture. People ate maize and sweet potato and probably drank “chicha”, a sweet beer.
Prof Rostain says he was warned against this research at the start of his career because scientists believed no ancient groups had lived in the Amazon.
“But I’m very stubborn, so I did it anyway. Now I must admit I am quite happy to have made such a big discovery,” he says.
The next step for the researchers is understanding what lies in an adjoining 300 sq km (116 sq mile) area not yet surveyed.
