A team of researchers from the Amazônia Revelada project uncovered an 18th-century Portuguese settlement and several other archaeological sites in the Amazon rainforest using LiDAR technology.
UnsplashPart of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador.
The Amazônia Revelada project, led by archaeologist Eduardo Neves, is using LiDAR technology to scan areas of the Amazon rainforest for lost structures. LiDAR, which employs lasers to map the landscape, has been instrumental in revealing hidden archaeological sites under thick canopy coverage.
This initiative follows earlier successful uses of LiDAR in the Amazon and aims to uncover more about the rich history of Amazonian civilizations.
Recently, the project announced a major find: a lost 18th-century Portuguese settlement in the Brazilian Amazon. A team of researchers was able to map out streets and structures that had long been overtaken by the dense rainforest, offering a glimpse into the colonial past of the region. The research is ongoing, but the team plans to return to the site and continue piecing together the Amazon’s forgotten history.
What Is The Amazônia Revelada Project?
Humans have inhabited the Amazon rainforest for nearly 13,000 years. As the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon is home to nearly 10 percent of all animal species on Earth.
This area’s rich history and biodiversity inspired Eduardo Neves, the director of the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at the University of São Paulo, to head the Amazônia Revelada (Amazon Revealed) project. The project aims to use LiDAR technology to scan areas of the Amazon rainforest for lost settlements.
LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, involves sending laser pulses into the ground from the air to measure the distance to the Earth. The differences in the laser return times and wavelengths are used to create a 3D map of the landscape and reveal any abnormalities, such as structures or ruins. The technology can even map the ground beneath the thick tree canopies of the Amazon rainforest.
Instagram/Projeto Amazônia ReveladaAn example of one of the LiDAR scans performed by the Amazônia Revelada research team.
Earlier this year, a separate research team used LiDAR technology to identify a large network of ancient cities in the Upano Valley region of the Amazon in Ecuador. Now, the Amazônia Revelada project hopes to expand on these findings to enrich our understanding of Amazonian history.
“Amazônia Revelada has several people involved, archaeologists, indigenous people, non-indigenous residents, riverside communities, quilombolas. The idea is to bring everyone together in this mapping of the archaeological heritage of the Amazon using this available technology,” Eduardo Neves told National Geographic in 2023.
Now, experts behind Amazônia Revelada have announced a remarkable discovery: a lost 18th-century settlement in the Brazilian Amazon.
A Forgotten 18th-Century Settlement Is Discovered In Brazil
Public DomainThe Landing of Pedro Álvares Cabral in Porto Seguro in 1500 by Oscar Pereira da Silva. 1900.
Using LiDAR, the Amazônia Revelada research team uncovered evidence of an 18th-century Portuguese colonial settlement in the Amazon. The Portuguese first arrived in Brazil in 1500 under the leadership of Pedro Álvares Cabral. After claiming the land for Portugal, the settlers created a colonial administration and transformed the area into an economic hub powered by enslaved individuals, primarily from Africa. Portuguese control over Brazil ended in the early 19th century when Dom Pedro I declared Brazil an independent country.
LiDAR revealed that the Amazonian settlement contained structures and a network of streets. The city was likely abandoned after Brazil became an independent country, leaving the settlement to collapse into ruin.
Public DomainThe last portrait of Emperor Dom Pedro I, the first ruler of the Empire of Brazil.
“It was abandoned, the forest took over, and the stone blocks were removed. We were able to identify the layout of the streets of this city, which was also a fascinating discovery,” Neves said, as reported by Brazilian news outlet Metrópoles.
The research team also discovered that the settlement appeared on 18th-century maps, although its exact location was indiscernible from these documents.
In Rondônia, a Brazilian state near the border of Bolivia, Neves’ team discovered another unknown site containing geometric structures that may have been buildings. Also in Rondônia, the team found an archaeological site with ceramics. They plan to return to all of these locations to gather more information.
“We still don’t know exactly what they are. They could be areas of cultivation or perhaps places of habitation, but we will have to go back to the field to excavate and better understand their meaning. These formations are known in other places, such as Bolivia, but this is the first time we have seen them on the Brazilian side,” Neves stated.
As the team continues to explore and excavate these sites, new findings will likely reshape our understanding of the Amazon’s past and the diverse societies that once thrived there.
After reading about the lost settlement discovered in the Amazon, go inside the remarkable story of Juliane Koepcke, the girl who survived nearly two weeks in the Amazon rainforest after her plane crashed. Then, read about the candiru, an Amazonian fish that is rumored to swim into men’s penises.
