Amazonian find stuns researchers

The Seattle Times ^ | 9-20-03 | By Thomas H. Maugh II

[vannrox]

Amazonian find stuns researchers

Deep in the Amazon forest of Brazil, archaeologists have found a network of 1,000-year-old towns and villages that refutes two long-held notions: that the pre-Columbian tropical rain forest was a pristine environment that had not been altered by humans, and that the rain forest could not support a complex, sophisticated society.

A 15-mile-square region at the headwaters of the Xingu River contains at least 19 villages that are sited at regular intervals and share the same circular design. The villages are connected by a system of broad, parallel highways, Florida researchers reported in yesterday's issue of Science.

The Xinguano people who occupied the area not only built the complex towns but also dramatically altered the forest to meet their needs, clearing large areas to plant orchards and cassava while preserving other areas as a source of wood, medicine and animals.

[blam]

"They claim the amazon basin teemed with cities, towns and farms. Why didn't they read them? Sounds like a bunch of ignoramuses."

Yup. The Spanish named the river 'Amazon' because of the female warriors they saw along the river edges.

[Carry_Okie]

The Amazon as a system of abandoned farms and orchards makes a lot more sense than the evolutionary model. There would be a top layer of super rich soil that would support more plant life than is typically sustainable, transpiring enormous amounts of water. As the system densified, that nutrient layer would be slowly consumed into a massive overstory that, when removed, would leave extremely poor soils. It makes total sense.

Look at any other long abandoned farm and note how dense the vegetation is.

[AD from SpringBay]

...the people demonstrated sophisticated levels of engineering, planning, cooperation and architecture in carving out of the tropical rain forest a system of interconnected villages and towns making up a widespread culture based on farming...

So sophisticated, in fact, that they developed both the mud hut and the spear. Simply amazing and much greater in depth and breadth than anything the silly old white man came up with.

[Lancey Howard]

So this proves nature can recover.

LOL, only if you believe that humans (and their activities) are not a part of "nature".

[John Valentine]

I think that the evidence is that they are far older than that. I suspect that the 1000 year reference is a typo.

All these civilizations were wiped out by diseases after contact between the "old" and "new" worlds, but were already very old at that time.

[Shmokey]

You mean to tell me they built a bridge and some roads without permits and an environmental impact study?? The sierra club and greenpeace are gonna be mad.

[EBITDA]

For a group desperately seeking archaeological credibility, dates are a minor detail.

[uglybiker]

You mean to tell me they built a bridge and some roads without permits and an environmental impact study?? The sierra club and greenpeace are gonna be mad.

Oh, they were. Only then they were known as the High Priests of Xliqupltextpletxptle which, roughly translated means: "Long haired, tie-dyed god with bloodshot eyes and wanders around, won't get a job who has a bitchin' case of the munchies".

But what really pi$$ed them off was that noboby could pronounce their name.

[org.whodat]

All these civilizations were wiped out by diseases after contact between the "old" and "new" worlds, but were already very old at that time.

WRONG, many of these so-called civilizations were gone long before this time. I think that's why they call them lost.

[Searching4Justice]

next thing you know they are going to find an Edsel buried amongst the ruins that Henry Ford supposedly rode to our planet to escape from all the polution where he came from.......ARIANA was right those SUVs are the terror of the universe !!!!

[Consort]

Early Whigs.

[Fawnn]

...many of these so-called civilizations were gone long before this time. I think that's why they call them lost.

I suspect it's all a part of a great conspiracy! I think they got "lost" because of an intentional bureaucratic cover-up. The world depends on experts! The delicate balance of the environmental movement would have been destroyed had word got out that Amazonica thrived until their government banned smoking and starting importing French bottled water, wine, pastries, cheese, and, worst of all, perfumes.

[exDemMom]

Oh, they were. Only then they were known as the High Priests of Xliqupltextpletxptle which, roughly translated means: "Long haired, tie-dyed god with bloodshot eyes and wanders around, won't get a job who has a bitchin' case of the munchies".

LOL!

[adx]

So sophisticated, in fact, that they developed both the mud hut and the spear. Simply amazing and much greater in depth and breadth than anything the silly old white man came up with.

Yup. Mabye they should've put forth the effort to develop guns instead of running around like a bunch of naked barbarians.

[Dark Wing]

You will find this of interest.

[Caipirabob]

Y'all are tryin' to educate me. I'm outta here.

BUMP! Good read.

[PA Engineer]

A related article about the effect of disease transmission was published by Jared Diamond in Discover Magazine in 1992.

The Arrow of Disease

[John Valentine]

I object to your use of the condescending term "so-called", but you are right is one sense; I never should have used the term "all". There were many civilzations that rose and fell in the millenia before contact.

I was actually referring to the civilzations in existence at contact. They ALL fell before smallpox, measles, viral hepatitis, and a few more diseases they could not resist.

This tragic outcome of contact is not the fault of the Europeans. It was something that was bound to happen sooner or later.

The result would have been identical if New World explorers had "discovered" the Old World, and taken the pathogens back with them.

[Carry_Okie]

Thanks!

[MalcolmS]

This is covered in great detail, with much interesting speculation, in the Novel by Orson Scott Card,

Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus.

Well worth reading for anyone interested in this topic.