Laser scans reveal ancient cities hidden in the Amazon river basin
Researchers have long assumed that the Amazon river basin, which includes the modern-day countries of Peru, Colombia and Bolivia, did not become densely populated until after the arrival of Spanish colonizers in the late 15th century. This assumption was based on the simple fact that the land surrounding the basin experiences severe flooding during rainy seasons, making permanent settlement without the aid of advanced technology all but impossible.
One of the few skeptics was Heiko Prümers, an archaeologist with a focus on Latin America who teaches at the University of Bonn. Over 20 years ago, he set out with his colleague Carla Jaimes Betancourt — then a student studying in La Paz — to investigate two mounds located near the village of Casarabe in northern Bolivia. The mounds, a university press release recalls, “turned out to be eroded pyramid stumps and platform buildings.” In other words: evidence of settlement.
Subsequent studies confirmed Prümers’ suspicion. Bioarchaeological analysis showed that these buildings were not unoccupied ceremonial sites. Instead, they were used year-round by a community that farmed, fished, and hunted for food. These agriculturalists, named the Casarabe culture, could be found throughout northern Bolivia during the Late Holocene epoch. Their home turf was the Llanos de Mojos, a tropical savannah that spans more than 4,500 square km.
