Lidar Survey Reveals Nearly 400 Ancient Geoglyphs in Brazil's Amazon

Archaeologists using airborne lidar mapping have identified almost 400 previously unknown earthwork geoglyphs across the southwestern Amazon, an area that spans Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. The survey covered about 4,800 km² and uncovered circles, squares and linear formations ranging up to 48 hectares, dating from roughly 600 CE to 850 CE. The findings were published in the journal Nature and challenge the long‑standing view of the Amazon as an untouched wilderness before European contact.

The research team, led by Brazilian botanist Evandro Ferreira of the Federal University of Acre and Finnish archaeologist Martti Pärssinen of the University of Helsinki, used laser‑based lidar to strip away forest canopy in the data, revealing the hidden landscape. The scientists say the structures likely served multiple purposes, including festivals, political gatherings, ceremonies and games. The discovery adds to a growing body of evidence that complex societies modified large parts of the Amazon basin long before the arrival of colonizers.