Ancient Urban Network Mapped in Amazon Forests

National Geo

Dozens of densely packed, pre-Columbian towns, villages, and hamlets arranged in an organized pattern have been mapped in the Brazilian Amazon, anthropologists announced today.

reply to post by Hanslune


Thanks for the post. And re: your signature, might I suggest avoiding the Internet?

reply to post by Hanslune


Pretty cool. I was under the impression that South American civilisations were fairly advanced at the time of the arrival of the Europeans with paved roads, aquaducts and established trade routes among other things. I suppose that therefoe it is not a huge leap of imagination to think that we can still see evidence of the interconnected nature of their society today by using up to date mapping techniques. Had the conquistadors done more to integrate with the cultures that they found there as opposed to mercilessly pillaging them then perhaps we would already be more aware of their legacies.

:-)

Wow yeah I saw on the NASA channel, they were doing some advanced imaging in South America and discover this human footprint of ancient civilization. Cool image.

reply to post by ItsTheQuestion


Ah but grasshopper Nirvana can be sought anywhere you happen to be.

Some other articles about this here:
www.abovetopsecret.com... e=1#pid4890626

I find it interesting that the towns were walled. I can't seem to remember if the more ancient Mayan and Inca civilizations had also fortified themselves from nature like this.
It's as if archeology is finding a chronological escalation in the separation of man and nature through history.
First, perhaps being somewhere closer to some kind of harmonious balance. Man being somewhat on the run and more so at the mercy of what are now deemed survivable elements of nature. Having to migrate and whatnot in certain areas.
Over time, man's relationship with nature becoming increasingly confrontational.
Nature constantly warning man and man failing to learn.
I don't claim to have any real answers, but I find it interesting how many ways our species has morphed, restructured and evolved over time and wonder why it is that we sort of "rediscover" our own history time and time again. Why hasn't knowledge of these places been carried forward though some sort of record? What happened to these people?
I'm excited to find what we will learn about this new discovery.

reply to post by 4N6310


The Maya began to built walls at the end of their golden periods as war tore the civilization apart (along with other things) I believe the Peruian cultures used walls too.

Men usually build walls to keep out other men. A pallisade is usually enough to stop predators. I'm not sure what types and style of wall these were - I don't recall seeing that in the articles.

Its a very interesting discovery, I think we'll find that the settlements were abandoned because:

1. Organized life there was difficult and needed specialist and people working as a team
2. Large scale deaths of the inhabitants from disease weakened the social structure and they may have lost most of their specialists and elite.

This was seen in other areas when disease wiped out up to 90% of the native americans.

Originally posted by Hanslune
reply to post by 4N6310

 

I'm not sure what types and style of wall these were - I don't recall seeing that in the articles.

From the BBC article, but it's not very specific:

Like medieval European and ancient Greek towns, those forming the Amazonian urban landscape were surrounded by large walls. These were composed of earthworks, the remains of which have survived.
...
The people who once lived in the settlements are thought to have been wiped out by European colonists and the diseases they brought with them.

And from the USA Today article:

Roads and canals connected walled cities and villages. The communities were laid out around central plazas. Nearby, smaller settlements focused on agriculture and fish farming.

[edit on 29-8-2008 by 4N6310]

Ah the BBC article has different materials in it than the National Geo - we'd need to see what the "Q' MS was to understand it.

Disease and perhaps their own internal problems caused their decline probably - I think very few colonists got to the Mato Grosso!

Their existence may also accounted for the stories of lost cities in the MG which later people spent a great deal of time trying to find.

They found pottery so with that and hopefully any remaining organic materials they should get good dates.

Read about this in the newspaper yesterday too. Very interesting info.

Saw a TV program recently about how fast nature can reclaim the land once human civilisation disappears in an area, it's was amazing how quickly they projected today's modern world of concrete, metal and such can fall into disrepair and disappear, how much more quicker could earlier civilisations using 'less advanced' materials also disappear?



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