Hundreds of geoglyphs found under the Amazon: Traces of the ‘lost’ Aquiry society expand

New archaeological research conducted under the Amazon rainforest has once again challenged the perception of the region's past as an “untouched wilderness.” In examinations carried out using the aerial laser scanning method LiDAR, hundreds of large earth structures were detected beneath the dense vegetation.

According to researchers, these structures with geometric patterns belong to the pre-Columbian Aquiry society, which is believed to have existed between 600 BC and 850 AD. The name Aquiry comes from the Acre River, which stretches from Peru and Bolivia to Brazil.

The research, published in the journal Nature, reveals that the Aquiry society may have reached a population of between 1.25 million and 3 million at its peak. If this estimate is correct, a much larger and more organized social structure than previously thought existed in the southwestern Amazon.

LIDAR REVEALED WHAT WAS BENEATH THE FOREST

Within the scope of the study, an area of approximately 4,400 square kilometers was scanned from the air. The LiDAR system sends numerous laser beams from an aircraft to the ground; by using the return data of the beams that pass through gaps in the tree canopy and reach the ground, the terrain hidden under the vegetation can be modeled in three dimensions in a computer environment.

With this method, a total of 432 geoglyphs were identified. It was reported that about 400 of these were previously unknown to the scientific world. By evaluating the LiDAR data together with previous archaeological findings, scientists calculated that the total number of structures in the Aquiry region could reach up to 30,000.

The geoglyphs consist of large circles, squares, ditches, and monumental enclosed areas. According to the researchers, the long and straight roads connecting these structures point to advanced planning and organized labor. It is stated that the construction and maintenance of a single average-sized geoglyph may have required the labor of about 300 people.

IT MAY HAVE BEEN A STRUCTURE SIMILAR TO ANCIENT GREECE

There is still limited information about the Aquiry society. It is unknown why the society left no written records, why most of their homes disappeared over time, and why they vanished between 850 and 1000 AD.

Researchers believe that Aquiry may have had a political and social order similar to Ancient Greece rather than a large empire managed from a single center. According to this interpretation, many communities that shared common beliefs and traditions, but were relatively independent of each other, lived in the region.

It is also considered that the large enclosed areas may have been used as political and ceremonial centers. It is estimated that communities gathered in these areas to make joint decisions, organize feasts, and perform rituals.

According to the research, the Aquiry society carried out large-scale engineering projects without using metal tools or pack animals. While roads and temples were being built in the Roman world during the same period, monumental earth structures and road networks were being created on the other side of the Amazon.

It is thought that the Aquiry people grew corn, squash, and cassava, and propagated Brazil nut trees and peach palms. Researchers state that the society built structures and roads by opening clearings in the forest, but that these activities were not on a scale that would completely transform the Amazon ecosystem.