LIDAR Survey Uncovers Massive Aquiry Landscape in the Southwestern Amazon

The Aquiry culture flourished in what is now southwestern Amazonia from roughly 600 BCE to 850 CE. Archaeologists describe it as a network of communities rather than a single state, linked by geometric earthworks, straight roads, and large wooden longhouses. The people cultivated maize, manioc, squash, cotton, and managed fruit- and nut-bearing trees, leaving no written records but a legacy of monumental ditches and plazas that were later reclaimed by the rainforest.

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A team led by archaeo-anthropologist Martti Pärssinen of the University of Helsinki used airborne LIDAR to map 4,497 square kilometers (1,736 sq mi) of rainforest, flying roughly 450 kilometer (280 mi) transects over the study area. The resulting data identified 432 earthworks, of which 396 had not been recorded before. Extrapolating from this sample, the researchers estimate that the Aquiry civilization may have produced between 24,000 and 30,000 earthworks across an area as large as 183,000 square kilometers. Population estimates for the civilization’s peak around 200 CE range from 1.2 million to 3 million people. The survey suggests that less than 3 percent of Greater Amazonia contains a density of geoglyphs far exceeding previous expectations.

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The findings challenge the long-standing view of the Amazon as an untouched wilderness prior to European contact. Instead, the region appears to have been heavily modified by large, sedentary societies that cleared forest, built extensive road networks, and practiced intensive agriculture. This revised picture implies that many other parts of the Amazon may have supported similarly dense populations, prompting a reassessment of the continent’s pre-Columbian environmental impact.

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Pärssinen describes the LIDAR results as a transformative moment for Amazonian archaeology, arguing that the traditional model of a pristine rainforest should be abandoned. He emphasizes that the newly uncovered landscape would have hosted communal gatherings, ceremonies, music, dancing, and athletic competitions, reflecting a vibrant cultural life. The study, published in *Nature* (2026), also notes that many questions remain, particularly regarding the civilization’s disappearance between roughly 850 CE and 1000 CE.

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University of Helsinki officials have highlighted the research as a landmark contribution to understanding human-environment interactions in tropical forests. Brazilian scientific agencies have expressed interest in integrating the LIDAR data into broader conservation planning, noting that recognizing ancient land-management practices could inform contemporary sustainable forestry strategies.

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