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Aquiry civilization uncovered in Amazon, up to 3 million inhabitants
An international research team led by archaeologist Martti Parssinen of the University of Helsinki used airborne LiDAR scanning to reveal a vast network of hidden earthworks beneath the southwest Amazon rainforest. The study, published in Nature, identified more than 400 preserved sites and estimates that the region may contain over 20,000 ceremonial and infrastructural structures, including geoglyphs, mounds, platforms and straight roads.
The newly named Aquiry civilization is dated to between 600 BCE and 850 CE and is thought to have occupied roughly 183,000 km² across present‑day Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. Population estimates range from 1.25 million to 3 million people, challenging the long‑standing view that pre‑colonial Amazonia was sparsely populated. The surveyed area represents less than 3 % of the entire Amazon basin, suggesting many additional sites remain undiscovered.
These findings reshape understanding of pre‑Columbian social complexity, urban planning and environmental management in the Amazon, indicating a highly organized, multicultural society that transformed large swathes of the forest without causing lasting ecological damage.
Entities
Amazon rainforest · Aquiry civilization · Colombian research team · LiDAR scanning · Martti Pärssinen · Nature (journal) · University of Helsinki · pre-Hispanic road network
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 10 SOURCES] The structures include geoglyphs, earth mounds, platforms, straight roads and ceremonial centers. mayacomunicacion.com.mx · www.tv5.com.tr · noticiabrasil.net.br · correiodeminas.com.br · diariodelcauca.com.co · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] The Aquiry civilization covered roughly 183,000 km², comparable to the size of Syria. mayacomunicacion.com.mx · www.tv5.com.tr · noticiabrasil.net.br · correiodeminas.com.br · diariodelcauca.com.co · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] The findings were published in the journal Nature. mayacomunicacion.com.mx · www.tv5.com.tr · noticiabrasil.net.br · correiodeminas.com.br · diariodelcauca.com.co · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Researchers identified more than 400 archaeological sites and estimate over 20,000 earthwork structures across the region. mayacomunicacion.com.mx · www.tv5.com.tr · noticiabrasil.net.br · correiodeminas.com.br · diariodelcauca.com.co · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] Population estimates for the Aquiry civilization range from 1.25 million to 3 million people. mayacomunicacion.com.mx · www.tv5.com.tr · noticiabrasil.net.br · correiodeminas.com.br · diariodelcauca.com.co · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] The civilization, named Aquiry, existed between 600 BCE and 850 CE. mayacomunicacion.com.mx · www.tv5.com.tr · noticiabrasil.net.br · correiodeminas.com.br · diariodelcauca.com.co · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] The surveyed area represents less than 3 % of the Amazon basin, implying many more undiscovered sites. mayacomunicacion.com.mx · www.tv5.com.tr · noticiabrasil.net.br · correiodeminas.com.br · diariodelcauca.com.co · +5 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] An international team led by Martti Parssinen used LiDAR to map hidden structures in the southwest Amazon. mayacomunicacion.com.mx · www.tv5.com.tr · noticiabrasil.net.br · correiodeminas.com.br · diariodelcauca.com.co · +5 more