Millions of people may have inhabited the southwestern Amazon rainforest roughly 2,000 years ago, part of an ancient civilization that archaeologists now suspect was much larger than previously thought.
The civilization, known as the Aquiry, likely peaked between 100 and 300 C.E. During the time, scientists estimate between 1.25 million to 3 million people inhabited more than 70,600 square miles of what is now northern Brazil, an area about the size of North Dakota.
Archaeologists came up with those figures based on the results of a recent aerial survey using lidar, a laser-based, remote sensing technology that produces detailed, three-dimensional maps of the landscape. They found nearly 400 previously undocumented geometric earthworks, known as “geoglyphs,” in a 1,740-square-mile area, which they used to estimate the Aquiry’s population size and geographic sprawl.
The findings, detailed in a new paper published July 29 in the journal Nature, add to a growing body of evidence showing that the Amazon is not an untouched wilderness but, rather, a landscape that has been shaped by humans for centuries.
As I understand it, unlike famous stone-builders to the North and West, these peoples built with wood, which when not maintained, would have disappeared in only a few years.
Another point is that civilisation is in many ways an extension of mass agriculture, which would presumably have been the case here. Meaning, I expect that these peoples cleared a lot of land at one time, which was later recovered by the Amazon jungles.
Another point is that civilisation is in many ways an extension of mass agriculture, which would presumably have been the case here. Meaning, I expect that these peoples cleared a lot of land at one time, which was later recovered by the Amazon jungles.
Actually they used food forests - the entire Amazon has been heavily cultivated by human selection
Families would each have their own little food forest, which was more cultivated than farmed to have their selection. But the cool thing about that practice is that it instills an idea of “I liked this fruit, so I’ll plant the seeds when I’m done”, which results in plentiful food and game animals everywhere
How do we know all this? Their descendants are still around and still do this! It’s wild that they’re being called a lost civilization
When the Spanish first explored the Amazon River, they reported the banks were absolutely crawling with people. When they returned most of them were gone, probably because of diseases brought by the explorers
But for some reason those accounts were just dismissed by history, even though descendents of the survivors are still living there today
How do we know all this? Their descendants are still around and still do this! It’s wild that they’re being called a lost civilization
Heh, that’s a pretty thin premise, mate, altho I don’t doubt that things didn’t proceed exactly as I described, from my amateur POV.
In fact, things rarely if ever equal their prediction models. Still, we investigate these things by the power of known facts & reality.
LMAO how is it a thin premise?
This isn’t some conspiracy theory, it’s an example of scientific bias. There’s experts in botany and anthropology that have already written books on the Aquery and food forests… We know quite a lot about them actually
This new study is just corroborating existing evidence we already have through lidar analysis via satellite
Which is all well and good, they’re just not nearly half as mysterious as the tone of the article makes them sound
LMAO how is it a thin premise?
Oh, okay. Well, while you’re allegedly rolling around on the floor in hysterics, here’s my actual point-- when we don’t know, it’s best not to assume, as per the very mechanisms of science.
So yeah, I find that what you said is indeed plausible, but not currently supported by the body of known scientific evidence, which is kinda the whole point.
it’s an example of scientific bias.
And there we go… talking about “bias,” your fundamental inclination to read science from various disciplines as supporting your unified, personal idea upon such. That’s exactly the kind of thing I was getting at above. Next, you’re going to gush about Piltdown Man…
Cool, well just ignore everything that doesn’t support your point I guess. Not like I laid out the breadcrumbs or anything
Excuse me for wanting an actual dialogue
