Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the heart of the Amazon, unveiling a massive lost city hidden for millennia beneath dense vegetation. This discovery challenges our current understanding of the Amazonian people, who were traditionally believed to be nomadic or dwelling in small settlements.
The Lost City
The Upano area in eastern Ecuador reveals an intricate network of roads and canals connecting houses and plazas.1 This ancient metropolis, built roughly 2,500 years ago, was a testament to human civilization for almost 1,000 years. The scale of the city, which housed tens if not hundreds of thousands of people, defies previous assumptions about Amazonian societies.
Archaeologists utilized cutting-edge LiDAR technology to survey a 300 square kilometer area and exposed over 6,000 rectangular platforms, unveiling the lost city’s vast infrastructure. These platforms, believed to be homes and ceremonial sites, were arranged around plazas with remarkable precision.
The city had an intricate road network, a testament to sophisticated engineering, extending vast distances with right angles—a challenging feat in the dense Amazonian landscape. The presence of causeways with ditches, interpreted as canals, also showcased advanced water management systems. Not only were these people not nomadic, but their way of life was much more industrially complex than previously given credit.
Read: Ancient Maya City Has Been Discovered Under The Guatemala Rainforest In Now ‘Inhospitable’ Area
Unraveling Amazonian Culture
Described as a “valley of the lost city” by archaeologist Stéphen Rostain, the uncovering of this ancient civilization is an extraordinary discovery. The settlements, occupied by the Upano people, thrived for a millennium, leaving a permanent and significant mark on Amazonian history.2
As archaeologists continue to explore, a deeper understanding of the daily life and practices of the Upano people is slowly emerging. Excavations have revealed pits, hearths, remnants of jars, stones for grinding plants, and burnt seeds in the platforms. These people inhabited the region between 500 B.C. and 300-600 A.D. ad flourished at the same time as the Roman Empire. The complex society, marked by residential and ceremonial structures, agricultural fields, and extensive road systems, shows us a sophisticated ancient civilization.
Lost City of Complex Amazonian History
The discovery shows the diversity of Amazonian civilizations, dispelling the myth of the region as an untouched wilderness. Other recent findings in Bolivia and Brazil have revealed additional rainforest societies of serious complexity as well, painting a fuller picture of Amazonian history.
While the discovery has unveiled a wealth of new information, there are still many mysteries surrounding this ancient lost city. The next phases of exploration aim to understand the social hierarchies, governance structures, and the interconnectedness of various settlements within this vast civilization.
The archaeological revelation in Ecuador marks a paradigm shift in how we perceive Amazonian history. Far from being an untouched wilderness, the Amazon reveals itself as a rich tapestry of diverse cultures and civilizations. This discovery prompts a reevaluation of archaeological methodologies and a commitment to uncovering more hidden chapters of Amazonian history.
Keep Reading: Dozens of ‘Extinct’ Creatures Found Alive in ‘Lost City’ Deep Within Rainforest
Sources
- BBC
- “Huge ancient city that was built 2,500 years ago and lasted for 1,000 years with a population of at least 10,000 has been found in Ecuador in the Amazon.” Daily Mail. Stephen M. Lepore. January 12, 2024.