Footprints of Lost Cities Found in the Amazon Rainforest
Laser technology is continuing to prove its worth in the Amazon: A team of archaeologists in Ecuador just used the tech to discover thousands of earthen mounds hidden under the forest’s canopy.
The 2,000-year-old site contains some 6,000 earthen platforms connected by ancient roads, also visible to the laser technology, called lidar. Though some of the structures were noticed as early as 20 years ago, the Associated Press reports, the recent findings show the true scale of the ancient cities. The team’s research is published this week in Science.
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It’s no surprise that the ancient inhabitants created an extensive drainage system; across Mesoamerica, pre-Hispanic populations modified low-lying wetlands for agricultural use.
Lidar is also used to analyze modern sites; last year, a satellite company at the Geospatial World Forum announced plans to use a satellite constellation to map the Earth in lidar. It seems like no ancient city will be left unturned by the perceptive laser technology.
More: Aerial Laser Scans Uncover Hidden Early Capital of the Khmer Empire
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