A team of researchers has discovered a sprawling ancient city hidden in the dense foliage of the Ecuadorian Amazon, using a cutting-edge technology called LiDAR. The city, which dates back to between 3,000 and 1,500 years ago, reveals the existence of a complex and sophisticated urban society that thrived in the heart of the rainforest.
LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing technique that uses laser pulses to map the surface of the earth. By flying over the forest canopy and shooting millions of laser beams, the researchers were able to create a high-resolution digital model of the terrain, revealing the traces of human-made structures that were otherwise invisible to the naked eye.
The LiDAR survey, conducted in 2015, uncovered more than 6,000 earthen mounds within a 300-square-kilometer area in the Upano valley. These mounds, which range from 2 to 12 meters in height, indicate the locations of wooden houses and plazas that were connected by an elaborate network of roads and canals. The researchers estimate that the city could have housed up to 100,000 people at its peak, making it one of the largest pre-Columbian settlements in the Americas.
The discovery challenges the conventional view of the Amazon as a pristine wilderness that was sparsely populated by small, nomadic tribes. Instead, it shows that the region was home to diverse and advanced civilizations that developed their own forms of architecture, agriculture, and social organization.
“This finding changes our view of Amazonian cultures. We used to think that they were simple societies, but they were not. They were complex and urban,” said Professor Stephen Rostain, director of investigation at the National Centre for Scientific Research in France, who led the research.
Co-author Antoine Dorison, a doctoral student at the University of Exeter, added that the city’s longevity, with some inhabitants living there for up to 1,000 years, demonstrates a remarkable achievement in Amazonian history. “This is one of the oldest and most continuous occupations in the Amazon. It shows that these people were able to adapt to the environment and maintain their way of life for a long time,” he said.
The researchers hope that their study, published in the journal Antiquity, will shed more light on the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the Amazon, and raise awareness of the need to protect it from deforestation and development.