SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Archaeologists from Missouri State University are confirming the existence of a previously unknown ancient civilization hidden deep within the Brazilian Amazon, using advanced remote-sensing technology and on-the-ground fieldwork.
Dr. Daniel Pierce and Dr. Christopher Bodine say they’ve identified massive “man-made” geometric earthworks—known as geoglyphs—using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data originally collected by NASA to study forest recovery after fires. The technology allowed them to digitally remove the forest canopy and reveal large man-made shapes, including circles and squares, some hundreds of feet wide.
To verify the findings, Pierce and Bodine say they traveled to the Amazon, where they confirmed the structures were real and ancient. Preliminary evidence suggests the site dates back 1,000 to 2,000 years, indicating a highly organized society capable of large-scale construction without modern tools…