Ancient City Network Unearthed in Amazon Rainforest

Image Credit: CNN

In a groundbreaking revelation in the Amazon rainforest, archaeologists have unearthed a vast network of cities dating back 2,500 years. These meticulously organized pre-Hispanic settlements feature expansive streets, long and straight thoroughfares, plazas, and clusters of monumental platforms. Located in the Upano Valley of Amazonian Ecuador, in the eastern foothills of the Andes, these findings have been documented in the journal Science. The discovery is the culmination of over two decades of exploration by a research team comprising members from France, Germany, Ecuador, and Puerto Rico.

The research efforts began with on-site investigations and later incorporated lidar (light detection and ranging), a remote sensing technique. Lidar utilizes laser light to unveil structures hidden beneath the dense Amazonian canopy. Stéphen Rostain, the lead author, an archaeologist, and the Director of Research at France's National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), expressed the significance of the find as "incredible." This revealed urban network stands as the earliest and largest of its kind in the Amazon, providing fresh insights into the ancient civilizations that once thrived in the region.