Bolivia: archaeological traces of ancient settlements discovered in the Amazon

Aerial view of the Amazon forest © AP/Dolores Ochoa

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Using state-of-the-art LIDAR technology, archaeologists have just revealed the existence of highly populated colonies in the heart of the Amazon several centuries ago.

If scientists cannot yet determine with precision how many inhabitants lived there, this discovery thwarts the theses which, until now, evoked small nomadic societies. 

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With our correspondent in La Paz,

Thanks to an airborne laser scanner, a whole team of archaeologists was able to precisely map an area in the middle of the Bolivian Amazon, despite the very dense vegetation.

Both sites studied belonged to the Casarabe culture, which lived in the Amazon from the 5th century AD until the arrival of the Spaniards in the 15th century.

This civilization was already known, but thanks to this 3D mapping, we know a little more about the extent of this colony.

"

" explains Carla Jaimes Betancourt, one of the archaeologists in the study.

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Pyramids, irrigation systems, roads, squares... This study would invalidate what was believed until now: that the pre-Hispanic Amazonian cultures were sparsely populated, moved around a lot and had not built infrastructures as developed.

But time is running out, because

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• Bolivia

• Archeology

• Amazon