Archaeologists have discovered a lost Portuguese settlement from the 18th century in the Amazon Rainforest using LiDAR technology.
Previously only known to have existed thanks to its presence on old maps of the region, the lost settlement was found in the Brazilian state of Rondônia. Using highly advanced LiDAR technology to scan the area beneath the forest canopy, archaeologists found the entire layout of the lost city in the process.
The team was led by Eduardo Neves, the director of the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at the University of São Paulo. Neves and the team made this discovery as part of their larger project Amazônia Revelada (Amazon Revealed), which is using the combination of knowledge of the Amazonian natives and advanced technology to uncover the secrets lying in the world’s largest rainforest.
The lost Portuguese settlement in the Amazon
For more than 300 years, the Portuguese ruled over Brazil and its native people as one of the many colonies in its vast empire. During that time, they established many settlements in the country, a significant one being the lost city in present-day Rondônia.
The Portuguese settlement experienced rapid growth in the colonial era through the enslavement of its native people, exploiting the land and people for gold, sugar, and coffee among other things. However, when Brazil declared its independence in 1822, the settlement was abandoned and forgotten over time. Nature took its course, and the dense forest cloaked the city under trees and rocks.
LiDAR technology revealed what had long been hidden from the human eye. Using laser-based scanning, it allowed the team to uncover a city that had vanished into the forest. By analyzing the light reflected from its lasers, the system created a detailed 3D map of the scanned area.
“Using LiDAR technology, we were able to observe a wealth of details, including a previously unnoticed street system in the settlement that was abandoned and overgrown,” Eduardo Neves said in speaking to All That’s Interesting. “We still don’t know exactly what these formations are; they may be agricultural areas or residential places, but we will have to return to the field to excavate and understand their meaning better.”
Using LiDAR, Neves and his team have been able to make many more discoveries such as this one. However, the discovery of the lost Portuguese settlement in the Amazon marks the first time the team has found anything in Brazil.
“These formations are known in other places, like Bolivia, but this is the first time we see them on the Brazilian side,” said Neves.