RIDDLES OF AMAZON RAINFOREST: WHAT LIES THERE?

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION & IMPORTANCE OF THE AMAZON RAINFOREST:

The Amazon rainforest is one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world. It stretches over 5.5 million square kilometers and is spread across nine countries. The Amazon rainforest is located in South America, primarily in Brazil but also extending into Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana but the majority of the forest is located in Brazil. The Amazon rainforest is home to an estimated 10% of the world's biodiversity and is a crucial part of the planet's ecosystem as it absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen, thus playing an important role in mitigating climate change. Since it covers over 5.5 million square kilometers, it is the largest tropical rainforest in the world.

There are over 400 tribes living in the Amazon, with an estimated 80 un-contacted tribes as well as numerous non-indigenous people living in the region. These tribes have lived in the forest for centuries and have a deep understanding of the land and its resources.

HOW WAS AMAZON RAINFOREST DISCOVERED?

It is unclear who the first person to interact with the Amazon rainforest was, as indigenous tribes have been living in the region for thousands of years. However, the first recorded interaction with the region by Western explorers was by Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellana in 1541.

Francisco de Orellana first came across the Amazon while on an expedition to find the legendary city of El Dorado. In 1541, Orellana led an expedition down the length of the Amazon River, becoming the first European to navigate the river from its source to the Atlantic Ocean. Orellana also described the lush vegetation and abundant wildlife of the rainforest, which later became of interest to Europeans looking to exploit the region's natural resources. His findings included the discovery of the Amazon River's legendary female warriors, the "Amazons" or "Icamiabas" (which gave the river its name).

ANCIENT EVIDENCE, EARTHWORKS, AND STRUCTURES FOUND IN AMAZON RAINFOREST:

Why is the Amazon rainforest considered a possible home for ancient cities? This could be speculation of Francisco de Orellana you may ask. It is because, in recent years, numerous ancient earthworks have been discovered in the Amazon rainforest. These earthworks are known as "geoglyphs,". They are large, man-made structures consisting of ditches and raised mounds of earth. They are found throughout the Amazon basin and are estimated to date back to as early as 2000 years ago. Some of these geoglyphs are perfectly cardinally aligned, suggesting a level of engineering and planning that was previously unknown in the region. In addition to the geoglyphs, archaeologists have found evidence of other man-made structures in the Amazon rainforest, including fortified settlements, roads, and causeways. These structures suggest that the region was once home to complex societies with sophisticated engineering and architectural skills.

LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology has been instrumental in uncovering the hidden structures and features of the Amazon rainforest. By using lasers to penetrate the dense canopy, LIDAR has revealed a vast network of interconnected roadways, canals, and raised fields that were previously unknown.

*you can read about the lost city of Atlantis here*

AMAZONIAN DARK EARTH SOIL OR TERRA PRETA:

As the Amazon rainforest was not fertile so how did the people of possible civilization use to cultivate? This is where the discovery of Terra Preta came to play. Terra Preta or Amazonian Dark Earth soil is a type of soil found in the Amazon rainforest that is believed to have been created by ancient indigenous people. It is rich in nutrients and is highly fertile, making it ideal for agriculture. It can turn barren soil fertile. The presence of Terra Preta in the Amazon rainforest does suggest that there may have been human habitation and agriculture in the region in the past.

HIEKO PRÜMERS AND HIS DISCOVERIES:

Heiko Prümers is a German archaeologist who has played a vital role in the discoveries of the Amazon Rainforest. He and his team used the same LIDAR technology and discovered structures and sites that left archaeologists stunned. They found 26 sites and 11 of them were unknown. Cotoca and Landívar, these sites were larger than any other. Under the lush forest, they found man-made pyramids, read here, according to Prümers,

"It is obvious that the mounds are platforms and pyramids standing on artificial terraces at the center of well-planned settlements."

Heiko also said in the South East of( Llnos de Mojos) which is the Savannah region they found more than 120 graves which indicates a society was much more complex than anyone thought. Heiko also said that we should be patient because the Amazon forest will give us many more unexpected discoveries.

PERCY FAWCETT: RESEARCHER WHO LOST IN AMAZON:

One of the most famous of these purported lost cities is "Z," which was first described by British explorer Percy Fawcett in the early 20th century. Fawcett believed that he had discovered evidence of a large, ancient city deep in the Amazon rainforest, but he disappeared on a subsequent expedition to find it. Despite numerous attempts to locate the city, no concrete evidence of its existence has ever been found. Many people ran speculations about Fawcett but his disappearance became mystery in a mystery.

WHAT IS THE DEBATE AMONG ARCHAEOLOGISTS?

There is much debate among archaeologists and researchers about the findings in the Amazon rainforest. Some argue that there is clear evidence of ancient civilizations and human habitation, while others maintain that the evidence is inconclusive and could have alternative explanations.

One study published in the journal Nature in 2018 argued that the earthworks and other evidence found in the Amazon rainforest were not the result of human activity, but rather the natural processes of the forest itself. Despite this skepticism, there have been reports of hidden cities and other archaeological sites in the Amazon rainforest. In recent years, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of large settlements in the region, some of which were fortified and had complex social and political systems. These discoveries have challenged previous assumptions about the Amazon as a pristine wilderness untouched by human civilization. The age of these discovered cities and settlements varies, because the people may have renovated those structures with some dating back as far as 2000 years ago, while others may be more recent. However, the precise age of many of these structures is still the subject of ongoing research and debate.

WHY AMAZON RAINFOREST IS NOT MUCH EXPLORED?

The Amazon rainforest is not researched as extensively as it should be due to several factors, including political instability in the region, limited funding for research, and the difficult and dangerous conditions of working in the dense jungle. It has numerous unidentified species of animals and insects which can harm archaeologists.

The first research expeditions to the Amazon rainforest began in the late 19th century, but significant research did not begin until the mid-20th century with the establishment of organizations such as the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and The National Institute of Amazonian Research.

Despite its size and importance, only a small percentage of the Amazon rainforest has been explored and researched. Estimates vary, but it is believed that only around 5–10% of the region has been thoroughly studied.

WRAPPING:

The discovery of ancient earthworks, man-made structures, and hidden cities in the Amazon rainforest has sparked intense debate among researchers and the general public. While some see these discoveries as evidence of a lost civilization that once thrived in the region, others remain skeptical, arguing that the evidence is still too scant to support such claims. Regardless of the outcome of this debate, the discovery of these structures has forced us to rethink our assumptions about the Amazon rainforest and its history and has opened up exciting new avenues for archaeological research and discovery.

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