Ancient Amazon Civilization Developed Unique Form of ‘Garden Urbanism’
Scientific AmericanJUL 2023
The Spin
Narrative A
This international study seems to corroborate the centuries-old descriptions of Francisco de Orellana and Gaspar de Carvajal about pre-Hispanic urban networks in the forest, which were long thought to be fabricated. It's fantastic that the lidar remote surveying has found these cities after decades of archaeological study in the Amazon rainforest. This discovery is just the beginning of a new understanding of how these societies functioned.
Narrative B
It's unclear whether similar discoveries will ever be made as culturally significant sites in the Amazon are at risk from criminal enterprises, climate change, mineral extraction, and land clearing for agricultural expansion. As little has been done to protect the archaeological heritage, governments must immediately begin to integrate preservation with climate diplomacy before it's too late.