Amazonian Ancient City

Scientists havediscovered an ancient city in Eastern Ecuador using LIDAR. The Light Detectionand Ranging technology (LIDAR) was used to map 115 square miles of Ecuador’sUpano Valley, along the foothills of the Andes. They found evidence of asettlement named Sangay, which could have been home to as many as 100,000people.

 

One scientist remarkedthat this discovery changed the way to think about Amazonian cultures. Insteadof small groups living in huts, at least some of them lived in complicatedurban environments.

 

The system discoveredat Sangay connected various urban centers. The road are nearly straight andcontain right angles, which would be difficult in the Amazonian terrain.

 

We don’t know muchabout the people, archeologists also detected traces of fields where theylikely grew maize, beans, sweet potatoes and cassava. And at the end of a hardday, they probably enjoyed a kind of sweet beer called ‘chicha’.

 

They have dated Sangayto have been active from 500BCE to possibly 600CE. The LIDAR scans haverevealed various platforms, plazas, streets, and drains. But one unique aspectof Sangay is the complex road system that extends nearly 6 miles.

 

I am always interestedin such discoveries. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for more information aboutSangay.

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Published on June 27, 2024 13:14
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