Finding Lost Amazon Cities: Discovering an Overlooked Civilization.

Archeologists discovered a hidden cluster of ancient cities in the Amazon, where over 10,000 farmers lived around 2,000 years ago. These discoveries were made possible by high-tech laser-sensor mapping.

The cities were established by a people known as the Upano between 500 B.C. and 600 A.D. These areas had large roads, ceremonial buildings, and agricultural fields, showing a well-organized society.

Estimates suggest the population might have been as large as 30,000 people, showing the sites were highly populated. Experts say this level of development indicates a very complex and early society in the Amazon.

Unlike the stone constructions of the Incas and Mayans, these people built their settlements with mud due to a lack of stone. This still required a significant amount of organized labor and planning.

These findings challenge the view of the Amazon as a sparsely populated wilderness, showing it had a rich history of sophisticated societies. This research adds to evidence of complex pre-European societies throughout the Amazon.