July 25, 2015

Groundbreaking Report on Ancient Amazon Civilizations That Reached Millions in Population

An international team of researchers have been investigating ancient human habitation in the Amazon. They have found that the Amazon was once inhabitated by millions of people. Eight million to fifty million may have lived there by 1492. They found that 83 native species were cultivated there. Evidence of sprawling towns that streetched for miles have been uncovered. The researchers have found extensive land management systems, towns that housed 10,000 people each, with miles of extensive agriculture around them. Giant earthworks have been uncovered, along with graveyards, canals and causeways. The activity was widespread by 3000 BCE. All throught these regions, evidence of a man made soil mix called terra preta allowed for fertile crop production. They cultivated maize, squash, Brazil nuts, palm trees and fruit. Hundreds of archaeological sites have already been found.

The Daily Mail has an extensive report here with their usual excellent series of photos and videos;
http://dailym.ai/1DFrm00

And the research was published by the Royal Society in the UK, which has the complete research report here;
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/282/1812/20150813

I want to thank Charles Mann who gave me the heads up on this complete report.

Mike Ruggeri’s Ancient Andean News on Tumblr
http://mikeruggerisancientandeannews.tumblr.com

Mike Ruggeri’s Ancient Andean News Magazine
http://bit.ly/1KJvVt1