- By Georgina Rannard
- Science Reporter, BBC News
1 hour ago
Image source: Stephen Rostain
image description,
Scientists found evidence of 6,000 mounds that are believed to have formed the basis of ancient houses
A vast ancient city that was hidden by lush vegetation for thousands of years has been discovered in the Amazon.
The discovery changes our knowledge of the history of people living in the Amazon.
The houses and squares in the Upano region of eastern Ecuador were connected by an amazing network of streets and canals.
The area lies in the shadow of a volcano, which created fertile local soils but may also have led to the destruction of society.
While we knew of cities in the South American highlands, such as Machu Picchu in Peru, people were believed to only live nomadically or in tiny settlements in the Amazon.
“This is older than any other site we know of in the Amazon. We have a Eurocentric view of civilization, but this shows that we need to change our idea of what culture and civilization is,” says Prof. Stephen Rostain, research director at the National Center for Scientific Research in France, who led the research.
“It changes the way we see the cultures of the Amazon. “Most people imagine small, probably naked groups living in huts and clearing land – this shows that ancient people lived in complicated urban societies,” says co-author Antoine Dorison.
The city was built about 2,500 years ago and, according to archaeologists, people lived there for up to 1,000 years.
It is difficult to estimate exactly how many people lived there at any given time, but scientists believe it was certainly around 10,000, if not 100,000.
The archaeologists combined ground excavations with a survey of a 300 square kilometer area using laser sensors flown on an aircraft that were able to identify remains of the city among the dense plants and trees.
This LiDAR technology found 6,000 rectangular platforms measuring approximately 20 m (66 ft) by 10 m (33 ft) and 2-3 m high.
They were arranged in groups of three to six units around a square with a central platform.
Scientists believe that many were residential buildings, but some also served ceremonial purposes. One complex at Kilamope included a 140 m (459 ft) by 40 m (131 ft) platform.
They were built by cutting into hills and creating an earthen platform on top.
Image source: Stephen Rostain
image description,
Roads, paths and canals were found connecting the platforms, suggesting that a large area was occupied
A network of straight roads and paths connected many of the platforms, including one that stretched for 25 km (16 miles).
Dr. Dorison said these streets are the most striking part of the research.
“The road network is very sophisticated. It stretches over a long distance, everything is connected. And there are right angles, which is very impressive,” he says, explaining that it is much more difficult to build a straight road than one that fits 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 area's abundant water.
There were signs of threats to the cities – some trenches blocked the entrances to the settlements and could be an indication of threats from nearby humans.
Researchers first found evidence of a city in the 1970s, but this is the first time a comprehensive investigation has been completed after 25 years of research.
It reveals a large, complex society that appears to be even larger than the known Mayan societies of Mexico and Central America.
“Imagine if you discovered another civilization like the Maya, but with completely different architecture, land use and ceramics,” says José Iriarte, professor of archeology at the University of Exeter, who was not involved in this research.
Some of the finds are “unique” for South America, he explains, pointing to the side-by-side octagonal and rectangular platforms.
The societies were clearly well organized and interconnected, he says, pointing out the long sunken streets between settlements.
Not much is known about the people who live there and their society.
Pits and hearths were found on the platforms, as well as jars, stones for grinding plants, and burned seeds.
The Kilamope and Upano people living there probably focused primarily on agriculture. People ate corn and sweet potatoes and probably drank “chicha,” a type of sweet beer.
Prof Rostain says he was warned against this research early in his career because scientists believed no ancient groups lived in the Amazon.
“But I'm very stubborn, so I did it anyway. Now I have to admit that I’m pretty happy to have made such a big discovery,” he says.
The next step for researchers is to understand what's in an adjacent, unstudied area of 300 square kilometers (116 square miles).