Two research archaeologists from Missouri State University’s Bernice S. Warren Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) returned from the Amazon in December with information that will advance our understanding of the region’s ancient history.
During their expedition to the region Dec. 14-19, Dr. Daniel Pierce and Christopher Bodine discovered evidence of large-scale ancient settlements. In addition, they confirmed the presence of previously undocumented geographical formations.
This information suggests that sophisticated civilizations existed in the Amazon long before the arrival of Christopher Columbus.
From geoglyphs to ancient settlements
Pierce and Bodine launched their Amazon expedition primarily to research previously unreported geoglyphs. Using data they collected from NASA, the pair identified those geoglyphs with LiDAR technology.
“We were especially interested in a specific geoglyph that we had identified in a region hundreds of miles from any other known glyphs,” Pierce explained. “In this regard, we were successful. We were able to locate the glyph in the field and confirm it on the ground in person.”
The pair didn’t just confirm their LiDAR observations, though. They also discovered evidence of a large-scale pre-Columbian settlement deep in the Amazon.
“The specifics of that evidence will all be in our scientific publication,” Pierce said. “We want to keep that information a bit closer to the vest for now to ensure the scientific process is maintained” through the peer review process, he added.
