Aerial surveys and laser scanning have uncovered a massive network of ancient cities in the Amazon rainforest, dating back at least 2,500 years. The discovery includes constructed platforms, plazas, roads, and agricultural fields, challenging previous notions of the complexity of ancient Amazonian civilizations. The cities were linked by an extensive network of roads, with some sites revealing buildings arranged around low squares and distributed along widely dug streets. The re-forestation of the Amazon basin following the collapse of urban society contributed to significant carbon capture, leading to a post-antique temperature drop. The discovery is considered a major archaeological breakthrough, with the oldest Amazonian city thought to be 2,500 years old, making it more than 1,000 years older than any other known complex Amazonian society.
The thousands of mounds, plazas, terraces, roads and agricultural fields — revealed for the first time in their fullest extent by airborne laser scans — necessitate a rethinking of just how complex ancient civilizations of the Amazon may have been. https://t.co/GwVVj6qgzp
A massive network of ancient cities has been discovered in the Amazon Forest https://t.co/SLRdRVo6k3
Massive system of ancient cities discovered in the Amazon: Study https://t.co/J8qTVxeDTl
Massive system of ancient cities discovered in the Amazon: Study. https://t.co/ZlJBmTvB2w Click the image to read more:
Laser mapping technology reveals the oldest Amazonian cities, built at least 2500 years ago—more than 1000 years older than any other known complex Amazonian society. https://t.co/Rw2WBJTks9
At several sites in Ecuador’s Upano Valley, such as this one, called Kunguints, laser scans revealed the remains of buildings arranged around low squares and distributed along widely dug streets. https://t.co/GwVVj6qgzp
A dense system of pre-Hispanic urban centers, characterized by constructed platforms and plazas and connected by large, straight roads, has been discovered in the upper Amazon, according to a new Science study. Learn more: https://t.co/gCOaafGL2F https://t.co/wXpXDMNYG8
In a major archaeological discovery, the oldest Amazonian city has been uncovered in Ecuador. It is thought to be 2,500 years old https://t.co/eolT1kgdto
Ancient urban network revealed in Amazon rainforest https://t.co/G5MfwuBPym https://t.co/NEEyWGSgCB
A cluster of "lost cities" that flourished for a millenia have been discovered by archaeologists in the Amazon. Laser imagery reveals intricate networks of roads, neighborhoods and gardens. https://t.co/BWhcbGa6XI
Archaeologists working deep in the Amazon rainforest have discovered an extensive network of cities dating back 2,500 years. https://t.co/u86pb8aG3l
The use of laser scanning in archaeology has led to significant discoveries in tropical climates, where ancient settlements often lay obscured beneath dense jungle. https://t.co/GwVVj6qgzp
Huge network of ancient cities uncovered in the Amazon rainforest https://t.co/smpAP2sTGA
Re-foreststion of the Amazon basin following collapse of urban society caused so much carbon capture it contributed to the post-antique temperature drop. Calling it. https://t.co/Z3NOtS7NdH
Aerial surveys have revealed the largest pre-colonial cities in the Amazon yet discovered, linked by an extensive network of roads. https://t.co/xCFXnDaChI