Lidar Scans Reveal Many Lost Cities, Thousands of Earthworks in the Amazon

From Ancient Origins

For decades, archaeologists have suspected that human settlement in the Amazon basin was more expansive, ancient, and sophisticated than previously recorded. However, direct evidence remained scarce—artefacts were dispersed, and the dense forestcanopy concealed what lay beneath. Traditional excavation methods proved time-consuming and impractical for such vast terrain, where researchers often had no idea where to start looking.

Everything changed, however with the arrival of lidar technology.