Archaeologists have discovered a lost colonial city in the Amazon rainforest.
The city, which dates back to the 18th century, was a Portuguese settlement that appeared on some maps with its exact location being unknown, according to the director of the Museum of Archaelogy and Ethnography at the University of São Paulo, Eduardo Neves – who led the research.
The city was found in the Upano Valley located in the eastern foothills of the Andes and is estimated to be at least 250 years old.
The city was hidden for thousands of years by lush vegetation, and its discovery offers new insight into the history of people living in the Amazon.
Neves spoke of this discovery, as reported by Brazilian news outlet Metrópoles: “It was abandoned, the forest took over, and the stone blocks were removed.
“We were able to identify the layout of the streets of this city, which was also a fascinating discovery.”
Professor Stephen Rostain, director of investigation at the National Centre for Scientific Research, added: “This is older than any other site we know of in the Amazon.
“We have a Eurocentric view of civilisation, but this shows we have to change our idea about what is culture and civilisation.”
This colonial city discovery was revealed at an event held by the Amazon Museum in Manaus as part of the Amazônia Revelada project.
Neves said: “We want to register these archaeological sites to make them part of [our] heritage and create an additional layer of protection for these territories.”
The project’s main aim was to identify archaeological sites in various regions of the Amazon. State-of-the-art technology and traditional knowledge of forest people were used to help with further discoveries.
Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology, a remote sensing technology that uses laser pulses to measure distances and create 3D models of the real world, was used to survey the rainforest.
The technology helps to identify archaeological sites that may be hidden under lush vegetation and not visible.
Surveys by members of the Indigenous and Traditional People of the Amazonian rainforest will also be used to help with more discoveries. Researchers will record archaeological sites or places that are significant to the communities.
Antoine Dorison, an archaeologist at the CNRS, said: “It changes the way we see Amazonian cultures.
“Most people picture small groups, probably naked, living in huts and clearing land – this shows ancient people lived in complicated urban societies.”