Scientists use LiDAR to discover Aquiry civilization beneath Brazilian Amazon
Technology
Scientists just uncovered a huge ancient civilization hidden beneath the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, thanks to LiDAR scanning.
They mapped about 4,497 square kilometers and found 432 earthworks, most of them never seen before.
These sites belonged to the Aquiry civilization and date back as far as 600 BCE.
Aquiry population up to 3 million
This find flips the old idea that the Amazon was untouched wilderness. The Aquiry people built ditches, embankments, and roads for ceremonies and gatherings.
At their peak (100 to 300 CE), up to 3 million people lived across an area (183,000 square kilometers).
Researchers think there could be thousands more sites waiting to be discovered.