Laurence Blair

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. That's just the area that they've surveyed. And these kind of, effectively, pyramids, you know, they're clustered in these 15 settlements. And they seem to have been the foundations of temples and houses. And, you know, it looks like this is a society of upwards of 30,000, maybe even 100,000 people.

And we can see that they were carving these fields, terraces into the hillsides. very fertile soil there because of this nearby volcano. And the most exciting thing that people have pointed to here is this network of these wide, straight roads, thoroughfares even, that cut through the hillsides and seemingly go over rivers and connecting these different towns, neighbourhoods and houses.

And we can see that they were carving these fields, terraces into the hillsides. very fertile soil there because of this nearby volcano. And the most exciting thing that people have pointed to here is this network of these wide, straight roads, thoroughfares even, that cut through the hillsides and seemingly go over rivers and connecting these different towns, neighbourhoods and houses.

And we can see that they were carving these fields, terraces into the hillsides. very fertile soil there because of this nearby volcano. And the most exciting thing that people have pointed to here is this network of these wide, straight roads, thoroughfares even, that cut through the hillsides and seemingly go over rivers and connecting these different towns, neighbourhoods and houses.

And, you know, I think these seem to be the streets and the highways of a really organized, urbanized culture with serious resources and manpower, which is centered around two particular cities, which the researchers have dubbed Kilomope and Sangai. And I think what's also really fascinating here is they've done radiocarbon dating on some of these sites.

And, you know, I think these seem to be the streets and the highways of a really organized, urbanized culture with serious resources and manpower, which is centered around two particular cities, which the researchers have dubbed Kilomope and Sangai. And I think what's also really fascinating here is they've done radiocarbon dating on some of these sites.

And, you know, I think these seem to be the streets and the highways of a really organized, urbanized culture with serious resources and manpower, which is centered around two particular cities, which the researchers have dubbed Kilomope and Sangai. And I think what's also really fascinating here is they've done radiocarbon dating on some of these sites.

It seems as though these kind of garden cities here in the Upano Valley were inhabited from roughly 500 BC through to 450 AD.

It seems as though these kind of garden cities here in the Upano Valley were inhabited from roughly 500 BC through to 450 AD.

It seems as though these kind of garden cities here in the Upano Valley were inhabited from roughly 500 BC through to 450 AD.

Absolutely. Yeah, it's the classic development of an early society. It's got roads, we've got agriculture, we have got some form of urbanism. So like you say, we're really in the same league as classical antiquity around the world.

Absolutely. Yeah, it's the classic development of an early society. It's got roads, we've got agriculture, we have got some form of urbanism. So like you say, we're really in the same league as classical antiquity around the world.

Absolutely. Yeah, it's the classic development of an early society. It's got roads, we've got agriculture, we have got some form of urbanism. So like you say, we're really in the same league as classical antiquity around the world.

And in fact, Stevan Rostin, who's one of the leading archaeologists on this particular case, has called them, these cities, an Amazonian Rome, which I think is a great bit of branding. But I think it's also accurate. You know, we're dealing with this really interesting culture here. And I think, you know, I say this is just the tip of the iceberg when we're talking about what LIDAR could reveal.

And in fact, Stevan Rostin, who's one of the leading archaeologists on this particular case, has called them, these cities, an Amazonian Rome, which I think is a great bit of branding. But I think it's also accurate. You know, we're dealing with this really interesting culture here. And I think, you know, I say this is just the tip of the iceberg when we're talking about what LIDAR could reveal.

And in fact, Stevan Rostin, who's one of the leading archaeologists on this particular case, has called them, these cities, an Amazonian Rome, which I think is a great bit of branding. But I think it's also accurate. You know, we're dealing with this really interesting culture here. And I think, you know, I say this is just the tip of the iceberg when we're talking about what LIDAR could reveal.

There's a study last year, which was the largest LIDAR survey to date, and kind of looked at one huge area and then extrapolated from that. And it said that there could be as many as 24,000 pre-Hispanic earthworks. We're talking about ponds, ditches, paths, geoglyphs, buildings, which still remain hidden under the forest.

There's a study last year, which was the largest LIDAR survey to date, and kind of looked at one huge area and then extrapolated from that. And it said that there could be as many as 24,000 pre-Hispanic earthworks. We're talking about ponds, ditches, paths, geoglyphs, buildings, which still remain hidden under the forest.

There's a study last year, which was the largest LIDAR survey to date, and kind of looked at one huge area and then extrapolated from that. And it said that there could be as many as 24,000 pre-Hispanic earthworks. We're talking about ponds, ditches, paths, geoglyphs, buildings, which still remain hidden under the forest.

In the Amazon as a whole.