A major archaeological discovery revealed in early 2024. Researchers used airborne LiDAR (laser scanning) to uncover a vast network of ancient settlements in Ecuador's Upano Valley, hidden beneath the Amazon rainforest in Morona-Santiago Province.These cities, built primarily by the Upano and Kilamope cultures, date from around 500 BCE to between 300–600 CE—a lifespan of about 1,000 years
| Robert E Grant writes: Beneath Ecuador’s forests, an ancient world has come to light, where the Upano built cities that thrived between 500 BC and 600 AD. Wide roadways joined communities across the landscape, surrounded by canals, farms, and waterways that show how deeply they understood balance between land and life. This discovery transforms how we see the Amazon. It was not an empty wilderness but a living network of human brilliance and design. The forest was once alive with conversation, architecture, and symbols waiting to be discovered. The question now is not what they built, but how much of their world still waits beneath the soil. What do you think we will find there? |  |
