GabyThere are few places left on Earth where nature remains untouched. One of them is the Amazon. In its vast territory of 6.7 million square kilometers, every patch of soil, every leaf, every body of water creates an image of wild nature that cannot be tamed. Here, beneath the dense jungles, scientists are increasingly finding unique evidence of ancient human activity.
The team of scientists from the National Institute for Space Research in Brazil reported on a new grand discovery. The research was led by remote sensing expert Vinicius Peripato. Using technology LIDAR Scientists have discovered thousands of structures over an area of 5,315 square kilometers related to the lives of a large group of pre-Columbian people.
The LIDAR technology, without which such discoveries seem impossible, is a radar system that uses the synchronization of laser pulses emitted from an aircraft. This allows researchers to see through layers of foliage, soil, and other materials, and then map underground findings.
About 24 thousand buildings still hiding under forests Amazon You
The laser LIDAR locator has once again proven its effectiveness in scanning the deep layers of tropical vegetation. The fact that scientists found signs of pre-Columbian human activity beneath the jungles is not particularly surprising. However, what is most shocking is the scale of the discoveries, the publication reported. Science Alert .
During just one study, the team discovered about a thousand objects in southern Amazonia that indicate the existence of a fortified settlement, defensive structures, and ceremonial buildings. Thanks to LIDAR technology, scientists observed “crowned mountains and megalithic structures on the Guiana Shield, as well as riverine objects in the floodplains of central Amazonia.”
Examples of LIDAR mapping suggesting the existence of structures beneath the Amazon.
In a region where tens of thousands of people lived in pre-Columbian times, researchers have found signs of a city with a developed road network that could compete with the roads of present-day Europe. In the southwest, scientists noticed strange geometric structures located far from the roads.
After analyzing the findings, researchers concluded that beneath the entire Amazon, there are still between 10,000 and 24,000 unknown structures hidden. Therefore, over 90 percent of the history of human life in this region remains to be uncovered by scientists in the future.
The traces of these ancient societies that thrived may still be preserved in their own right. jungles During the study, the team measured the prevalence and abundance of 79 species of domesticated trees across nearly 1,700 forest plots. In particular, they examined several plots near open earth mounds. Almost half of these species were found near ancient settlements. The researchers suggested that many of these trees may have grown in well-maintained areas and produced generous harvests of fruits and nuts.
The results of the study were published by the journal Science.
