
Nationalgeographic.com | Mon, Jan 4, 2010 | Hundreds of circles, squares, and other geometric shapes once hidden by forest hint at a previously unknown ancient society that flourished in the Amazon, a new study says.
Satellite images of the upper Amazon Basin taken since 1999 have revealed more than 200 geometric earthworks spanning a distance greater than 155 miles (250 kilometers).
Now researchers estimate that nearly ten times as many such structures—of unknown purpose—may exist undetected under the Amazon's forest cover.
At least one of the sites has been dated to around A.D. 1283, although others may date as far back as A.D. 200 to 300, said study co-author Denise Schaan, an anthropologist at the Federal University of Pará in Belém, Brazil.
The discovery adds to evidence that the hinterlands of the Amazon once teemed with complex societies, which were largely wiped out by diseases brought to South America by European colonists in the 15th and 16th centuries, Schaan said.
Since these vanished societies had gone unrecorded, previous research had suggested that soils in the upper Amazon were too poor to support the extensive agriculture needed for such large, permanent settlements.
"We found that this picture is wrong," Schaan said. "And there is a lot more to discover in these places."
Wide-reaching Culture
The newfound shapes are created by a series of trenches about 36 feet (11 meters) wide and several feet deep, with adjacent banks up to 3 feet (1 meter) tall. Straight roads connect many of the earthworks.
Preliminary excavations at one of the sites in 2008 revealed that some of the earthworks were surrounded by low mounds containing domestic ceramics, charcoal, grinding-stone fragments, and other evidence of habitation.
But who built the structures and what functions they served remains a mystery. Ideas range from defensive buildings to ceremonial centers and homes, the study authors say.
It's also possible the structures served different purposes over time, noted William Woods, a geographer and anthropologist at the University of Kansas in Lawrence who was not involved in the research.
"For example," he said, "in Lawrence there's a Masonic temple—it is now a bar. There was a bank—it is now a restaurant called Tellers. These things happen."
What most surprised the research team is that the earthworks appear in both the region's floodplains and the uplands.
In general, the Amazon's fertile floodplains have been popular sites for ancient civilizations, while the sparser uplands have been thought to be largely devoid of people, the researchers say.
What's more, the earthworks in both regions are of a similar style, suggesting they were built by the same society.
"In Amazonian archaeology you always have this idea that you find different peoples in different ecosystems," study co-author Schaan said.
"And so it was kind of odd to have a culture that would take advantage of different ecosystems and expand over such a large region."
"Astounding" Population
The uplands sites appear to have been home to as many as 60,000 people, Schaan and her colleagues suggest in their paper, published this month in the journal Antiquity.
That figure is based on estimates of the social organization and labor that would have been required to build the structures hinted at by the remaining earthworks.
According to the University of Kansas' Woods, the population estimate is reasonable, albeit rough, since so little is known about these complexes.
Answers may emerge as researchers continue to excavate the newfound shapes in the coming years.
But Woods is impressed by the possibility that so many people might have once lived in a region long thought uninhabited.
"Traditionally, if you would have asked an anthropologist or archaeologist how many people lived [in these Amazon uplands], they'd say almost zero," he said.
"And so this is astounding that there is 60,000 people making a go of it where there aren't supposed to be any."
www.AstroDigi.com (Nino Guevara Ruwano)
oakley sunglasses, prada handbags, coach outlet, jordan shoes, ray ban sunglasses, kate spade outlet, longchamp outlet, prada outlet, oakley sunglasses cheap, louboutin outlet, louboutin shoes, christian louboutin, ray ban sunglasses, michael kors outlet, tiffany and co, tory burch outlet, tiffany and co, louis vuitton outlet, polo ralph lauren, air max, coach factory outlet, burberry outlet, louis vuitton, air max, michael kors outlet, chanel handbags, coach purses, longchamp handbags, polo ralph lauren outlet, michael kors outlet, longchamp handbags, nike shoes, nike free, gucci outlet, burberry outlet, louis vuitton outlet, louis vuitton outlet stores, louboutin, true religion jeans, oakley sunglasses, michael kors outlet, true religion jeans, kate spade handbags, michael kors outlet, louis vuitton handbags, coach outlet store online, michael kors outlet
ReplyDeletenike air max, vans pas cher, air jordan, air max, michael kors, air max, sac guess, ray ban pas cher, north face, timberland, nike roshe run, air max pas cher, louboutin, hollister, air force, polo ralph lauren, hogan outlet, nike huarache, michael kors pas cher, converse pas cher, sac louis vuitton, sac burberry, new balance pas cher, longchamp, nike roshe, mulberry, louis vuitton, lululemon, sac longchamp, vanessa bruno, nike free pas cher, oakley pas cher, hollister, north face, true religion outlet, ralph lauren, true religion outlet, nike free, sac hermes, barbour, nike blazer, louis vuitton uk, sac louis vuitton, polo lacoste, longchamp, abercrombie and fitch, nike trainers, michael kors, ray ban sunglasses, nike tn
ReplyDeletecanada goose, ugg boots, giuseppe zanotti, birkin bag, celine handbags, valentino shoes, rolex watches, nfl jerseys, ugg boots, jimmy choo outlet, hollister, uggs outlet, asics running shoes, lululemon outlet, bottega veneta, soccer jerseys, nike roshe run, uggs, chi flat iron, new balance shoes, canada goose jackets, ghd, babyliss pro, canada goose outlet, ugg australia, marc jacobs, ferragamo shoes, ugg, canada goose, mcm handbags, insanity workout, north face jackets, abercrombie and fitch, mont blanc, canada goose uk, wedding dresses, north face outlet, vans shoes, herve leger, ugg boots, moncler, reebok outlet, soccer shoes, beats by dre, canada goose, mac cosmetics, ugg pas cher, p90x, instyler
ReplyDeletecanada goose, links of london, pandora jewelry, pandora charms, juicy couture outlet, moncler, lancel, swarovski crystal, juicy couture outlet, supra shoes, hollister clothing store, air max, montre homme, parajumpers, converse, karen millen, moncler, moncler, ralph lauren, pandora charms, canada goose, gucci, air max, moncler, rolex watches, moncler, coach outlet store online, oakley, ugg, vans, iphone 6 cases, converse shoes, swarovski, louis vuitton, moncler outlet, wedding dresses, ray ban, louboutin, timberland boots, hollister, thomas sabo, ugg, hollister, baseball bats, toms shoes
ReplyDelete1jordan 11
ReplyDeletenorth face outlet 70% off
louis vuitton outlet
air jordan shoes
rolex watches
jordan 11 concord
fendi
coach clearance
coach purses
ugg boots sale
burberry outlet
louis vuitton outlet online
nike air max 2015
coach purse
jordan 6
www.gucci.com
nike running shoes
north face clearance
cheap canada goose jackets
canada goose coats
air jordan 11 legend blue
cheap michael kors handbags
coach bags
red bottom shoes
coach purse
kate spade outlet
toms outlet factory
gucci bags
michael kors factory outlet
kate spade sale
abercrombie and fitch outlet online
the north face outlet
nike factory store
north face kids jackets
coach factory online
canada goose jackets
fitflop sale
fitflops sale clearance
prada handbags
air jordan 11
ferragamo shoes outlet
coach factory store online
celine outlet
timberland boots
1016hxt
nike air max, burberry outlet, prada outlet, michael kors handbags, ray ban sunglasses, christian louboutin, louis vuitton outlet, ralph lauren polo, longchamp outlet, louis vuitton, cheap oakley sunglasses, uggs outlet, louis vuitton handbags, prada handbags, ray ban sunglasses, michael kors outlet, michael kors, longchamp outlet, oakley sunglasses, tory burch outlet, michael kors outlet online, ralph lauren outlet, replica watches, burberry factory outlet, tiffany jewelry, louis vuitton outlet, cheap jordans, oakley sunglasses, louis vuitton outlet online, kate spade, ray ban sunglasses, uggs on sale, louboutin shoes, gucci handbags, louboutin uk, christian louboutin, michael kors outlet online, michael kors outlet online, uggs outlet, chanel handbags, tiffany jewelry, uggs on sale, nike outlet, oakley sunglasses, uggs on sale, nike free
ReplyDeleteabercrombie and fitch, lunette oakley pas cher, jordan pas cher, michael kors, lunette ray ban pas cher, polo ralph lauren uk, sac guess pas cher, hollister uk, converse, replica handbags, nike blazer pas cher, michael kors, true religion outlet, nike free pas cher, coach outlet, north face uk, hermes pas cher, nike roshe uk, nike tn pas cher, burberry pas cher, north face pas cher, true religion jeans, lululemon outlet, nike air max uk, ray ban uk, true religion outlet, coach outlet store online, nike free, louboutin pas cher, nike air max, michael kors uk, vans pas cher, mulberry uk, longchamp soldes, nike air max uk, nike roshe run pas cher, timberland pas cher, nike air force, coach purses, hogan sito ufficiale, new balance, vanessa bruno pas cher, ralph lauren pas cher, kate spade outlet, abercrombie and fitch UK, michael kors outlet online, true religion outlet, polo lacoste pas cher
ReplyDeletebottega veneta, hollister clothing, ghd hair, iphone 6s cases, p90x workout, soccer jerseys, iphone 6 cases, instyler ionic styler, asics running shoes, nfl jerseys, vans outlet, mcm handbags, s6 cases, nike roshe run, mont blanc, north face outlet, iphone 6s plus cases, herve leger, valentino shoes, nike air huarache, celine handbags, north face outlet, mac cosmetics, louboutin, softball bats, iphone 5s cases, babyliss pro, reebok outlet, insanity workout, polo ralph lauren, timberland boots, new balance shoes, abercrombie, hermes handbags, iphone 6 plus cases, jimmy choo outlet, beats by dre, oakley, longchamp uk, lululemon outlet, giuseppe zanotti, iphone cases, abercrombie and fitch, salvatore ferragamo, nike trainers uk, chi flat iron, ipad cases, soccer shoes, wedding dresses, nike air max
ReplyDeletehollister, swarovski jewelry, barbour jackets uk, pandora charms, canada goose pas cher, louis vuitton uk, ugg uk, converse, moncler, louis vuitton, supra shoes, moncler, swarovski uk, pandora jewelry, lancel, canada goose, sac louis vuitton, marc jacobs, wedding dresses uk, juicy couture outlet, moncler, karen millen uk, toms shoes, ugg,ugg australia,ugg italia, moncler jackets, doke & gabbana, canada goose uk, canada goose jackets, canada goose outlet, sac louis vuitton, ugg pas cher, louis vuitton, pandora jewelry, gucci, coach outlet, moncler pas cher, bottes ugg pas cher, converse shoes outlet, canada goose outlet, moncler uk, ugg,uggs,uggs canada, hollister, montre pas cher, vans scarpe, ray ban, juicy couture outlet, replica watches, links of london uk, canada goose, nike air max, moncler
ReplyDeletetennessee titans jersey Super
ReplyDeleteinstyler max 2 in
texans jerseys week
falcons jersey is
jimmy choo shoes the
nike outlet store time.
mont blanc pens outlet around
giants jersey is
nike air huarache it
toms outlet updating
arizona cardinals jerseys
ReplyDeletebroncos jerseys
mont blanc pens outlet
supra shoes sale
converse trainers
michael kors handbags
chicago bulls
michael kors
new york jets jerseys
nike air huarache