Lidar uncovers 432 pre-Columbian earthworks in Amazon, 396 unknown to science
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An international team led by Helsinki University has used airborne lidar to map 432 ancient earthworks in the southwestern Amazon, 396 of which were previously unknown. The findings, published in Nature, challenge the notion of the Amazon as pristine rainforest and suggest a densely settled landscape managed by the Aquiry culture. The survey area represents less than 3% of the region, indicating thousands more structures likely remain undiscovered.
The Lidar Survey
An international team led by archaeologist Martti Parssinen of Helsinki University conducted airborne lidar scans over 4,497 square kilometers in the southwestern Amazon. The laser technology penetrated the dense forest canopy to reveal 432 pre-Columbian earthworks, known as geoglyphs, with 396 documented for the first time. The scanned area represents less than 3 percent of the region, leading researchers to project between 24,000 and 30,000 total structures may exist. The survey, published in Nature, provides the first large-scale evidence of extensive human modification of the Amazon landscape.
The Aquiry Culture
Dating from 600 BCE to 850 CE, the Aquiry civilization was not a single empire but a network of communities bound by shared traditions. At its peak around 200 CE, it spanned an estimated 183,000 square kilometers with a population ranging from 1.2 million to 3 million. The earthworks, consisting of deep-ditched enclosures, were likely ceremonial and political gathering sites linked by broad roads. While wooden houses have not survived, the archaeological record indicates a society that cultivated maize, manioc, squash, and cotton, and managed surrounding forests for fruit and nut production.
What's Next
Researchers are now investigating why the Aquiry culture abruptly declined around 850 CE and what occurred in the subsequent 150 years. The findings raise urgent questions about the extent of undiscovered archaeology beneath the Amazon canopy, as less than 3 percent of the region has been surveyed with such technology.
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Lidar uncovers 432 pre-Columbian earthworks in Amazon, 396 unknown to science
