"Exploring Ancient Amazonian Cities: Uncovering Lost Settlements and Pre-Hispanic Valleys"
Archaeologists have discovered a network of lost cities in the Ecuadorian Amazon that were home to at least 10,000 farmers around 2,000 years ago. The settlements, occupied by the Upano people, lasted about 1,000 years and featured earthen mounds, buried roads, residential and ceremonial buildings, and agricultural fields with drainage canals. The discovery challenges the perception of the Amazon as a pristine wilderness and highlights the complexity of past societies in the region.