Evidence is emerging of a Lost Civilisation in the Amazon basin equal or greater than other world civilisations.
In 1541, a Franciscan friar Brother Gaspar de Carvajal documented the first voyage along the Amazon by Europeans. He wrote of vast cities with technological achievements beyond any known, an epic highway network and astonishing art, as well as a society governed by women with a fierce female army (which is why it’s known as the Amazon).
The account was lost for 300 years and when it was found in an archive, it was dismissed as a fantasy because everyone knew Amazon culture only existed for 1000 years. And no one had found any evidence of these things. It was a place of ‘savages’.
Because of that belief little archaeology has been carried out.
We know the Spaniards devastated the population by bringing smallpox. They also took measles, flu and more. What we’ve only just learned is those diseases wiped out 99% of the population – 99% of wisdom holders, technologists, farmers and more – reducing cities to villages. The jungle reclaimed what was there.
This was also supposed to be a relatively recently occupied continent with people traipsing over from Siberia. We now have evidence people were living there 50,000 years ago, deep into the last Ice Age.
This brings me to the rarely-deployed Rule 4: Everything is Economics. Hugely expensive archaeological expeditions are only funded if it is believed that discoveries will exceed costs. So the belief always comes first and discoveries that are outside current knowledge aren’t made. Which is very circular.
The race is now on to discover the truth about this mysterious but advanced civilisation and it will not only rewrite the history (and the cultural standing) of South America but also of the world.