Laurence Blair

In the Amazon as a whole.

In the Amazon as a whole.

No, but we're really looking at these several centres. And that's not the only one. We also have an area in northern Bolivia with these huge temples and geoglyphs and carvings and sort of this kind of almost waterlogged irrigation system, which almost looked like something from the Nile, from the Ganges. So really we're looking at the tip of the iceberg here.

No, but we're really looking at these several centres. And that's not the only one. We also have an area in northern Bolivia with these huge temples and geoglyphs and carvings and sort of this kind of almost waterlogged irrigation system, which almost looked like something from the Nile, from the Ganges. So really we're looking at the tip of the iceberg here.

No, but we're really looking at these several centres. And that's not the only one. We also have an area in northern Bolivia with these huge temples and geoglyphs and carvings and sort of this kind of almost waterlogged irrigation system, which almost looked like something from the Nile, from the Ganges. So really we're looking at the tip of the iceberg here.

Absolutely. I think there, like you say, you have this almost ready-made, fertile soil, which perhaps gives them a head start.

Absolutely. I think there, like you say, you have this almost ready-made, fertile soil, which perhaps gives them a head start.

Absolutely. I think there, like you say, you have this almost ready-made, fertile soil, which perhaps gives them a head start.

And I think it's not coincidental that a lot of, and we'll come back to this later on, but a lot of the early domestication of crops, including even cacao, famously used in chocolate, seems to actually have not originated in the Andes or in Mesoamerica, but from that bit of Amazonian Ecuador. So these are real pioneers.

And I think it's not coincidental that a lot of, and we'll come back to this later on, but a lot of the early domestication of crops, including even cacao, famously used in chocolate, seems to actually have not originated in the Andes or in Mesoamerica, but from that bit of Amazonian Ecuador. So these are real pioneers.

And I think it's not coincidental that a lot of, and we'll come back to this later on, but a lot of the early domestication of crops, including even cacao, famously used in chocolate, seems to actually have not originated in the Andes or in Mesoamerica, but from that bit of Amazonian Ecuador. So these are real pioneers.

But even elsewhere, where you don't necessarily have this fertile volcanic soil and you have a lot more rain, you have these kind of rivers which wash away a lot of the soil, there's actually a growing consensus that Amazonians were actually engineering this kind of remarkable substance of their own, which laid the foundations for these kind of thriving, long-lasting kingdoms in the rainforest.

But even elsewhere, where you don't necessarily have this fertile volcanic soil and you have a lot more rain, you have these kind of rivers which wash away a lot of the soil, there's actually a growing consensus that Amazonians were actually engineering this kind of remarkable substance of their own, which laid the foundations for these kind of thriving, long-lasting kingdoms in the rainforest.

But even elsewhere, where you don't necessarily have this fertile volcanic soil and you have a lot more rain, you have these kind of rivers which wash away a lot of the soil, there's actually a growing consensus that Amazonians were actually engineering this kind of remarkable substance of their own, which laid the foundations for these kind of thriving, long-lasting kingdoms in the rainforest.

And that substance is called terra preta in Portuguese or dark earth in English to the likes of you and me. And to kind of just give your listeners the sense of what it's like, this is a kind of deep brown, almost kind of black soil. Think about, you know, prodding a black forest gateau. It's kind of got that spongy touch to it. It's effectively ancient trash, you know, it's rubbish.

And that substance is called terra preta in Portuguese or dark earth in English to the likes of you and me. And to kind of just give your listeners the sense of what it's like, this is a kind of deep brown, almost kind of black soil. Think about, you know, prodding a black forest gateau. It's kind of got that spongy touch to it. It's effectively ancient trash, you know, it's rubbish.

And that substance is called terra preta in Portuguese or dark earth in English to the likes of you and me. And to kind of just give your listeners the sense of what it's like, this is a kind of deep brown, almost kind of black soil. Think about, you know, prodding a black forest gateau. It's kind of got that spongy touch to it. It's effectively ancient trash, you know, it's rubbish.

But people, even today, Brazilian farmers really treat it like treasure. And this stuff contains, it's got animal bones, it's got mollusk shells, it's got pot shards, charcoal, and full of all these kinds of nutrients, which agriculture needs, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium.

But people, even today, Brazilian farmers really treat it like treasure. And this stuff contains, it's got animal bones, it's got mollusk shells, it's got pot shards, charcoal, and full of all these kinds of nutrients, which agriculture needs, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium.

But people, even today, Brazilian farmers really treat it like treasure. And this stuff contains, it's got animal bones, it's got mollusk shells, it's got pot shards, charcoal, and full of all these kinds of nutrients, which agriculture needs, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium.