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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
For centuries, historians
imagined the ancient Amazon
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as a wilderness--
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no civilization,
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barely any people,
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nature untouched by human hand.
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Archaeologists largely
ignored it.
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People just assumed that there
was nothing here in the Amazon,
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and it wasn't worth
looking for things here,
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so nobody came.
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NARRATOR:
But now,
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dramatic new discoveries
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are shattering those
old assumptions.
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MICHAEL HECKENBERGER:
All of a sudden,
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we see something in the Amazon
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that had been assumed
couldn't exist there.
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NARRATOR:
Huge ancient
agricultural systems,
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urban centers over
a thousand years old,
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mysterious monumental
architecture.
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♪ ♪
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(translated):
This has changed our perception
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of ancient Amazonian societies.
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NARRATOR:
From the last ice age,
stunning paintings
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left by some of the
very first humans in the Amazon.
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GASPAR MORCOTE:
Acá están plasmados...
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(translated):
Here are captured the thoughts
of many groups
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over thousands of years.
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NARRATOR:
Who were these ancient artists
and builders?
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What were the civilizations
they created?
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Finally, archaeologists
are revealing the untold story
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of the "Ancient Builders
of the Amazon,"
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right now, on "NOVA."
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♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
The vast Amazon.
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Covering almost half
of South America.
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About two-and-a-half million
square miles
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of tropical forest,
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the largest and most biodiverse
rain forest on the planet.
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♪ ♪
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It holds a third of all known
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terrestrial animal and
plant species
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and about 20% of the planet's
flowing fresh water.
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The Amazon's natural history
is spectacular.
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But what about
its ancient human history?
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♪ ♪
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Great ancient civilizations
flourished
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in other parts of the Americas,
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like the Maya and the Inca.
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All built thriving cities
filled with temples.
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They reshaped the landscape
to support huge
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agricultural systems,
many still visible today.
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But until recently,
most scientists viewed
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the ancient Amazon
as untamed nature--
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a wilderness.
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HECKENBERGER:
It was pretty standard,
the assumption of
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both the public
and the scientific community
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that the Amazon was pretty much
untouched nature,
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that human groups there
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were only small,
relatively mobile groups
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living more or less one
with nature.
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CARLA JAIMES:
Y durante muchos siglos...
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(translated):
For many centuries,
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we thought that in Amazonia,
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civilizations and complex
societies
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had just never developed.
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If you look at the history of
archaeology in South America,
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people just assumed that
there was nothing here
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in the Amazon
and it wasn't worth
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looking for things here,
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so nobody came.
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And then this idea
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that there was nothing happening
here
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in the past became very strong.
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
The lack of complex societies
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in the Amazon seemed to have
a good explanation:
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its poor soils made intensive
agriculture impossible.
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Without intensive agriculture,
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dense populations and complex
societies could never exist.
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This was the dominant argument
for decades.
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♪ ♪
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But now, a new generation
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of archaeologists
is proving that wrong.
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One of the scientists
leading the way
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is Bolivian archaeologist
Carla Jaimes.
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♪ ♪
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She works in a remote area
of the Bolivian Amazon
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called the Llanos de Mojos.
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(birds twittering)
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JAIMES:
Y debo admitir que la primera
vez que...
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(translated):
I have to admit
that when they first asked me
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if I wanted to do archaeology
in the Llanos de Mojos,
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it seemed really remote
and inhospitable to me.
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What are we going to find
in the Amazon jungle?
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Ya son...
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(translated):
Now it's over 23 years
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that I've been doing research
in the Llanos de Mojos.
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And the more I learn about it,
the more it surprises me.
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NARRATOR:
Carla's greatest surprise
is that wherever she looks,
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she finds the remnants
of an ancient culture--
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especially when she looks at
the landscape from the air.
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(men speaking on radio)
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
On the edges of the rain forest,
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where jungle gives way
to grasslands,
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geometric markings cover
the plains.
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JAIMES:
Y de repente...
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(translated):
And to suddenly see
those marks on the earth,
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perfectly geometric, gigantic,
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in places where today
there is nobody,
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this would make the mind
of any archaeologist explode.
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Who made them?
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How long ago?
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Why?
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NARRATOR:
Carla has devoted much of
her career to those questions.
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Slowly, she is getting answers.
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Evidence suggests the marks
are raised terraces
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probably constructed
by ancient people
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to protect their crops
from floodwaters.
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JAIMES (translated):
The terraces are 20 to 30 meters
wide
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and 200 or 300 meters long.
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They date from 1,600 years ago
up to 500 years ago.
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So they were functioning
for over a thousand years.
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NARRATOR:
The terraces suggest
intensive agriculture.
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Could this be evidence
of dense populations
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or even ancient cities?
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In another part of
the Llanos de Mojos,
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Carla has been investigating
a number of hills
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covering the landscape.
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JAIMES:
Es increíble la cantidad de
cerámica que se encuentra...
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(translated):
It's incredible the quantity
of pottery
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we find on the surface
of these hills.
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This, for example,
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is a fragment of a grater,
which they used to prepare
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different foods
like peppers, manioc, and corn.
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Como los Llanos de Mojos...
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(translated):
Since the Llanos de Mojos
doesn't have any stone,
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the ancient people who lived
here had to make
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many of their basic tools
from pottery,
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like mortars and graters.
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Esta cerámica que encontramos...
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(translated):
This pottery we find
on the surface
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I calculate is about
800 years old.
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
When she and her team started
digging below the surface,
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they found so many artifacts,
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they concluded the hills
were not natural at all.
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JAIMES (translated):
So here we are on top of
Loma Perotom,
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which is one of hundreds
of small hills
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in the southeast
Llanos de Mojos.
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100 years ago,
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people thought they were
natural formations.
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We now know they were
constructed
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over 1,500 years ago.
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NARRATOR:
Rather than hills,
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these were giant, carefully
built earthworks.
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Along with
the agricultural terraces,
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this was yet more evidence
that ancient Amazonians
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were not just living
on the landscape,
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they were actively
transforming it.
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JAIMES (translated):
We now know that these societies
left a huge mark
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on the landscape.
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The Llanos de Mojos is a
landscape
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that has been modified.
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
Even knowing how ancient people
transformed the landscape,
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Carla was unprepared for the
amazing discovery her team made
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in 2019 at a large mound
called Cotoca.
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A menos de diez kilómetros de
distancia...
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(translated):
About ten kilometers from here
is one of the biggest mounds
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of this region.
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In 2019, we decided to do
a lidar survey of it.
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
Lidar is the remote sensing
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laser technology that's
revolutionizing archaeology.
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Lidar bounces thousands of tiny
laser beams off the landscape
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and then assembles their
reflections into a 3D image.
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Forests and grasslands can then
be digitally cleared away
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to reveal the hidden outlines
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of ancient human settlements
beneath.
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When the lidar images of the
large mound were processed,
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Carla could hardly believe
her eyes.
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♪ ♪
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JAIMES:
Lo que vimos fueron mapas de
sitios...
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(translated):
What we saw was the outlines
of a place that was so big,
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we realized it was not
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just a single mound.
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It was a collection of mounds
that formed what we could call
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a city or some sort of
urban complex.
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It measures about 600 acres,
and inside it there are
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at least 18 separate structures.
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
Nothing quite like this had
ever been seen in the Amazon.
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It was a breathtaking discovery
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which reverberated
around the world.
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♪ ♪
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00:11:59,766 --> 00:12:02,700
But was it really a city?
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00:12:02,700 --> 00:12:07,766
As archaeologists discover more
evidence of ancient structures
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00:12:07,766 --> 00:12:09,433
in the Amazon,
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debates arise about the nature
of the societies
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that built them.
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HECKENBERGER:
In fact, many people
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didn't want to believe that
there was anything like urbanism
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00:12:19,100 --> 00:12:20,400
in the pre-Columbian Amazon.
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00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:25,033
Well, as time goes on
and technologies improve,
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00:12:25,033 --> 00:12:26,400
we start to see that,
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00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,400
wow, these types of societies
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00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:31,266
existed in many parts
of the Amazon.
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00:12:31,266 --> 00:12:36,200
The only thing is, is, they
don't fit our standard model
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00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,033
of what an urban society
would look like,
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00:12:39,033 --> 00:12:41,333
based on models that come from
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00:12:41,333 --> 00:12:44,533
deep in Western historical
experience--
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00:12:44,533 --> 00:12:47,100
Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece,
and Rome.
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NARRATOR:
The lidar images of Cotoca
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show a huge constructed platform
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00:12:53,433 --> 00:12:59,300
16 feet high
and spanning over 50 acres.
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00:12:59,300 --> 00:13:03,133
This was the focus
of an extensive urban complex.
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00:13:03,133 --> 00:13:08,600
♪ ♪
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In its center was a huge
70-foot pyramid,
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00:13:14,100 --> 00:13:16,233
which archaeologists believe
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00:13:16,233 --> 00:13:18,800
was probably used for
grand rituals
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00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,333
and administrative functions.
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♪ ♪
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This civic
ceremonial construction
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00:13:30,266 --> 00:13:33,000
dominated a network
of settlements that spread out
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00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,266
over the surrounding plains.
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♪ ♪
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Working in another part
of the Amazon,
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00:13:44,533 --> 00:13:47,900
Michael Heckenberger was
one of the first to describe
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00:13:47,900 --> 00:13:52,366
this distinctive type of
Amazonian settlement pattern.
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00:13:54,066 --> 00:13:57,933
We proposed that this indeed
was a form
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00:13:57,933 --> 00:13:59,300
of pre-modern urbanism.
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00:13:59,300 --> 00:14:02,433
That in fact,
they didn't have cities,
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00:14:02,433 --> 00:14:04,700
but the connections
and networks--
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00:14:04,700 --> 00:14:06,733
very systematic
and very tightly integrated--
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00:14:06,733 --> 00:14:11,800
of towns and villages
had the same scale of impact,
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00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,266
perhaps organized the same scale
of populations,
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00:14:14,266 --> 00:14:17,233
as people were accustomed
to talking about
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00:14:17,233 --> 00:14:20,400
in small to medium-sized
urban civilizations
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00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,833
elsewhere in the world.
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00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:27,800
NARRATOR:
After the discovery of 2019,
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00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:31,800
Carla is now expanding her
lidar surveys,
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00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:34,133
looking for yet more
ancient settlements.
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00:14:38,766 --> 00:14:41,533
¿Como le va, señorita?
Bien, gracias.
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00:14:41,533 --> 00:14:43,166
NARRATOR:
She works with the
Indigenous people
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00:14:43,166 --> 00:14:47,400
who still live in the forests
of the Llanos de Mojos--
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00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,300
like Dionisia Noza,
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00:14:49,300 --> 00:14:53,066
leader of the Mojeño Indigenous
community of San Bartolo.
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00:14:55,100 --> 00:14:59,000
Dionisia and her family
are probably descendants
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00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:03,600
of the people who created
the ancient urban complexes.
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00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:06,333
¿Sienten que también tienen una
relación
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00:15:06,333 --> 00:15:08,100
con, con sus ancestros
254
00:15:08,100 --> 00:15:10,066
y con la gente que vivía antes
acá?
255
00:15:10,066 --> 00:15:15,266
NOZA:
Bueno nosotros sentimos porque
le hablamos nosotros.
256
00:15:15,266 --> 00:15:19,900
Nosotros sentimos que ellos nos
están ayudando, no ve?
257
00:15:19,900 --> 00:15:23,566
Entonces por medio de eso
sentimos el peso
258
00:15:23,566 --> 00:15:27,400
de que nosotros sentimos que
vamos a poder, igual que ellos.
259
00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:32,133
JAIMES (translated):
I think there is something
that is really changing
260
00:15:32,133 --> 00:15:34,133
in archaeology.
261
00:15:34,133 --> 00:15:35,700
It is our commitment to return
262
00:15:35,700 --> 00:15:40,833
the results of our research to
the communities where we work.
263
00:15:40,833 --> 00:15:42,833
Before,
research would be published
264
00:15:42,833 --> 00:15:45,200
in foreign languages
in publications
265
00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:47,233
in other countries.
266
00:15:47,233 --> 00:15:50,600
Now we make sure the
publications come back here.
267
00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:52,333
People want to have them
translated
268
00:15:52,333 --> 00:15:54,633
and keep them in their own
libraries.
269
00:15:54,633 --> 00:15:56,266
♪ ♪
270
00:15:56,266 --> 00:15:57,933
NARRATOR:
Before starting his flight,
271
00:15:57,933 --> 00:16:01,533
lidar expert Renan Torres
272
00:16:01,533 --> 00:16:05,366
explains the remote sensing
laser technology to Dionisia.
273
00:16:05,366 --> 00:16:09,066
He has the latest generation
of lidar equipment,
274
00:16:09,066 --> 00:16:13,500
which is now so small,
it can be mounted on a drone.
275
00:16:13,500 --> 00:16:15,166
Este es un drone...
276
00:16:15,166 --> 00:16:17,700
(translated): This is a drone
on which is mounted
277
00:16:17,700 --> 00:16:21,300
the latest lidar sensor,
which allows us
278
00:16:21,300 --> 00:16:22,900
to erase the information
about the trees
279
00:16:22,900 --> 00:16:26,333
so that what remains
280
00:16:26,333 --> 00:16:29,466
is only what has been modified
by humans.
281
00:16:39,100 --> 00:16:40,866
NARRATOR:
Carla has already made
282
00:16:40,866 --> 00:16:43,700
amazing discoveries with lidar.
283
00:16:43,700 --> 00:16:46,800
She hopes for more.
284
00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:51,333
She suspects that
buried beneath the jungle
285
00:16:51,333 --> 00:16:53,766
around the village
of San Bartolo
286
00:16:53,766 --> 00:16:56,900
are more traces
of ancient settlements.
287
00:16:56,900 --> 00:17:01,766
She is looking for the
telltale raised-earth platforms
288
00:17:01,766 --> 00:17:06,600
created by ancient peoples.
289
00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:09,766
(crickets chirping,
wildlife calling)
290
00:17:09,766 --> 00:17:11,000
That night,
291
00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,000
when Carla and Renan
study the 3D image
292
00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:17,700
of the rain forest
around San Bartolo,
293
00:17:17,700 --> 00:17:20,866
their expectations
are surpassed.
294
00:17:20,866 --> 00:17:23,533
When the vegetation
is stripped away,
295
00:17:23,533 --> 00:17:27,333
they can clearly see
that the present-day village
296
00:17:27,333 --> 00:17:31,733
is actually built on an ancient
human-made platform.
297
00:17:31,733 --> 00:17:35,600
JAIMES (translated):
So the platform looks
rectangular--
298
00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:37,366
200 meters by 500 meters
299
00:17:37,366 --> 00:17:41,466
and about three meters high.
300
00:17:41,466 --> 00:17:43,566
And there are in fact
two platforms.
301
00:17:43,566 --> 00:17:47,533
NARRATOR:
So there has probably been
a community where Dionisia
302
00:17:47,533 --> 00:17:53,000
and her family live today
for a thousand years.
303
00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,866
It was one of the many small
satellite communities
304
00:17:55,866 --> 00:18:00,266
of the ancient urban network
of the Llanos de Mojos.
305
00:18:00,266 --> 00:18:03,700
This existed right up
to the time of the arrival
306
00:18:03,700 --> 00:18:06,666
of Europeans in
the 16th century,
307
00:18:06,666 --> 00:18:11,533
the end of the era
of the ancient Amazonians.
308
00:18:11,533 --> 00:18:14,500
♪ ♪
309
00:18:16,700 --> 00:18:19,500
When did that era begin?
310
00:18:19,500 --> 00:18:21,900
Until recently, nobody was sure.
311
00:18:23,566 --> 00:18:25,766
But in the Colombian
rain forest,
312
00:18:25,766 --> 00:18:28,666
extraordinary evidence
of the arrival
313
00:18:28,666 --> 00:18:34,600
of some of the first humans
in Amazonia is being found.
314
00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:39,266
Archaeologist Gaspar Morcote
has made the search
315
00:18:39,266 --> 00:18:42,733
for those first Amazonians
his life's work.
316
00:18:42,733 --> 00:18:44,133
In an area of mountainous jungle
317
00:18:44,133 --> 00:18:47,766
called
La Serranía de la Lindosa,
318
00:18:47,766 --> 00:18:50,100
he and his team have been
finding traces
319
00:18:50,100 --> 00:18:53,500
of ancient human activity
everywhere.
320
00:18:53,500 --> 00:18:57,200
MORCOTE:
Este es uno de los caminos de
mayor antigüedad...
321
00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:00,866
(translated):
This is one of the oldest
pathways of those first humans
322
00:19:00,866 --> 00:19:02,633
in the Amazon rain forest.
323
00:19:02,633 --> 00:19:06,433
NARRATOR:
How does Gaspar know
they were here?
324
00:19:06,433 --> 00:19:09,866
The clues are in
the physical remnants
325
00:19:09,866 --> 00:19:12,900
those early Amazonians
left behind.
326
00:19:12,900 --> 00:19:14,833
MORCOTE:
Hemos encontrado las
evidencias...
327
00:19:14,833 --> 00:19:16,666
(translated):
We've found the traces
they left.
328
00:19:16,666 --> 00:19:22,200
Traces of bones,
their food, pieces of fruit,
329
00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:26,600
their fireplaces,
and their stone tools.
330
00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:29,000
NARRATOR:
When Gaspar's team
radiocarbon-dated
331
00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,933
those traces,
their age astonished him.
332
00:19:32,933 --> 00:19:35,033
Muestran que hace...
333
00:19:35,033 --> 00:19:38,533
(translated): They show that
12,600 years ago,
334
00:19:38,533 --> 00:19:41,233
human groups arrived in this
area of the jungle.
335
00:19:41,233 --> 00:19:44,566
NARRATOR:
It means that humans were here
336
00:19:44,566 --> 00:19:49,366
towards the end of
the last ice age.
337
00:19:49,366 --> 00:19:54,100
Este es un sitio que está
ubicado en estos aleros...
338
00:19:54,100 --> 00:19:58,133
(translated):
This is a site in one of
the rock shelters
339
00:19:58,133 --> 00:20:01,133
which were typical places
those first inhabitants
340
00:20:01,133 --> 00:20:02,700
of the Amazon used.
341
00:20:02,700 --> 00:20:07,566
And this is a type of soil
which we can read like a book.
342
00:20:07,566 --> 00:20:10,333
Y acá nos cuenta la historia...
343
00:20:10,333 --> 00:20:13,300
(translated):
It tells us the story
of those first inhabitants
344
00:20:13,300 --> 00:20:17,566
and all of the generations
that came after.
345
00:20:17,566 --> 00:20:20,066
That whole story is here.
346
00:20:20,066 --> 00:20:23,900
NARRATOR:
The story told by these soils
347
00:20:23,900 --> 00:20:25,733
is of the
nomadic hunter-gatherers
348
00:20:25,733 --> 00:20:29,500
who arrived here
over 12,000 years ago,
349
00:20:29,500 --> 00:20:31,833
some of the earliest
confirmed evidence
350
00:20:31,833 --> 00:20:34,466
of people in the Amazon.
351
00:20:34,466 --> 00:20:39,566
They used this rock shelter
as a temporary campsite.
352
00:20:39,566 --> 00:20:42,733
MORCOTE:
No tenían cerámica.
353
00:20:42,733 --> 00:20:45,166
(translated):
They didn't have pottery.
354
00:20:45,166 --> 00:20:49,233
They were nomadic groups
who wandered the jungle
355
00:20:49,233 --> 00:20:52,400
living from what they hunted and
the fruits they could gather.
356
00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:58,133
NARRATOR:
The tools and food remnants
left by those early Amazonians
357
00:20:58,133 --> 00:21:01,866
tell Gaspar the story
of their way of life.
358
00:21:01,866 --> 00:21:05,500
But other traces they left
behind are much more dramatic.
359
00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:15,566
To reach them requires
a journey by river.
360
00:21:15,566 --> 00:21:20,100
The Guayabero River
is born in the High Andes.
361
00:21:20,100 --> 00:21:23,233
Its waters squeeze between
the high rock walls
362
00:21:23,233 --> 00:21:25,733
of the Serranía de la Lindosa
363
00:21:25,733 --> 00:21:29,500
before flowing down
into the jungle.
364
00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:35,133
Scientists think that humans
first came into South America
365
00:21:35,133 --> 00:21:37,733
through the Isthmus of Panama.
366
00:21:37,733 --> 00:21:40,300
To get into the Amazon,
367
00:21:40,300 --> 00:21:42,200
some had to cross the Andes,
368
00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,066
and Gaspar believes that
the Guayabero Canyon
369
00:21:45,066 --> 00:21:49,466
provided those early travelers
with a natural entry point,
370
00:21:49,466 --> 00:21:52,233
through the mountains
and down into the rain forest.
371
00:21:52,233 --> 00:21:54,800
MORCOTE:
Un portal donde...
372
00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:56,500
(translated):
It was a gateway
373
00:21:56,500 --> 00:21:59,400
through which those
first humans came down
374
00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:03,166
from the Andes and started
to colonize the Amazon basin.
375
00:22:05,433 --> 00:22:08,000
NARRATOR:
There is no way of knowing
all the different pathways
376
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,900
people took on their way into
the Amazon,
377
00:22:10,900 --> 00:22:13,433
but dramatic evidence reveals
378
00:22:13,433 --> 00:22:18,466
this was clearly
a very important one.
379
00:22:18,466 --> 00:22:21,600
Because those ancient travelers
covered the cliffs
380
00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,733
of the low mountains of
La Lindosa
381
00:22:24,733 --> 00:22:27,366
with painted figures.
382
00:22:27,366 --> 00:22:32,900
♪ ♪
383
00:22:32,900 --> 00:22:36,333
Thousands of them.
384
00:22:36,333 --> 00:22:42,133
♪ ♪
385
00:22:42,133 --> 00:22:46,966
MORCOTE:
Este es un mundo fabuloso que
la gente antigua...
386
00:22:46,966 --> 00:22:49,400
(translated):
It's a fabulous world
that those ancient people
387
00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:52,033
painted here.
388
00:22:52,033 --> 00:22:54,166
They represent the animals
they lived with
389
00:22:54,166 --> 00:22:56,000
and the plants they lived with.
390
00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,100
Acá están plasmados...
391
00:22:59,100 --> 00:23:02,433
(translated):
These figures capture
the thoughts of many groups
392
00:23:02,433 --> 00:23:05,266
over thousands of years.
393
00:23:05,266 --> 00:23:09,866
Muchas figuras que pueden
plasmar la magia...
394
00:23:09,866 --> 00:23:12,966
(translated):
Some of the figures
seem to represent
395
00:23:12,966 --> 00:23:18,233
the magic and shamanism
of their rituals,
396
00:23:18,233 --> 00:23:23,333
but there are also geometric
figures and human figures.
397
00:23:23,333 --> 00:23:27,833
NARRATOR:
The ocher pigments contain
398
00:23:27,833 --> 00:23:30,766
iron oxide minerals from the
earth.
399
00:23:30,766 --> 00:23:33,833
♪ ♪
400
00:23:39,433 --> 00:23:43,466
Even though their exact meaning
is not clear to Gaspar,
401
00:23:43,466 --> 00:23:47,600
he feels the paintings express
a profound kinship
402
00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,633
with the natural world.
403
00:23:53,300 --> 00:23:56,800
MORCOTE:
Eso no es como hoy día...
404
00:23:56,800 --> 00:24:00,933
(translated):
Unlike us today, who feel
we are separate from the jungle,
405
00:24:00,933 --> 00:24:02,533
those people were part of it,
406
00:24:02,533 --> 00:24:08,133
along with the rest of the
animal and vegetable world;
407
00:24:08,133 --> 00:24:10,166
just another being
of the jungle.
408
00:24:10,166 --> 00:24:14,300
NARRATOR:
Along with the figures
of humans and animals
409
00:24:14,300 --> 00:24:19,366
of today's rain forest,
like deer, tapirs, and jaguars,
410
00:24:19,366 --> 00:24:21,666
there seem to be animals
that went extinct
411
00:24:21,666 --> 00:24:23,766
thousands of years ago.
412
00:24:23,766 --> 00:24:26,766
It is a reminder of
just how ancient
413
00:24:26,766 --> 00:24:30,366
some of the paintings
probably are.
414
00:24:30,366 --> 00:24:33,666
MORCOTE (translated):
We are talking about
12,600 years ago.
415
00:24:33,666 --> 00:24:36,966
At that time, there was a fauna
that no longer exists
416
00:24:36,966 --> 00:24:38,466
in South America,
417
00:24:38,466 --> 00:24:40,866
like mastodons
418
00:24:40,866 --> 00:24:43,500
and the American horse.
419
00:24:43,500 --> 00:24:45,633
...que todo este tipo de fauna
420
00:24:45,633 --> 00:24:48,733
convivió, vivió con la gente,
con los humanos...
421
00:24:48,733 --> 00:24:51,966
(translated):
All of these animals
lived with humans
422
00:24:51,966 --> 00:24:56,500
up until about 10,000 years ago,
when they started to go extinct.
423
00:24:56,500 --> 00:25:01,433
...pensamos nosotros, que
existen también animales...
424
00:25:01,433 --> 00:25:04,200
(translated):
So here, we think,
425
00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,866
there are animals
of the last ice age,
426
00:25:06,866 --> 00:25:10,700
like the giant sloth
right behind me.
427
00:25:10,700 --> 00:25:13,633
NARRATOR:
The painted cliffs
of La Lindosa
428
00:25:13,633 --> 00:25:17,633
open a remarkable window
on the lives and minds
429
00:25:17,633 --> 00:25:21,166
of the first ice-age Amazonians.
430
00:25:21,166 --> 00:25:23,900
At their nearby
habitation sites,
431
00:25:23,900 --> 00:25:27,200
Gaspar and his team
have also discovered evidence
432
00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:30,533
of how their lives changed
over the millennia.
433
00:25:30,533 --> 00:25:34,833
The only tools the earliest
nomadic hunter-gatherers
434
00:25:34,833 --> 00:25:37,866
left behind were made of stone.
435
00:25:37,866 --> 00:25:42,300
(translated):
This was their way of life
up until somewhere between
436
00:25:42,300 --> 00:25:44,933
4,000 and 6,000 years ago.
437
00:25:44,933 --> 00:25:47,133
Posteriormente mas o menos
acá...
438
00:25:47,133 --> 00:25:50,566
(translated):
About here, at 70 centimeters
down,
439
00:25:50,566 --> 00:25:53,966
we start to find
the people with agriculture.
440
00:25:53,966 --> 00:25:57,533
These are the people
who domesticated plants.
441
00:25:57,533 --> 00:26:01,966
NARRATOR:
In levels dating
to less than 6,000 years ago,
442
00:26:01,966 --> 00:26:03,766
Gaspar starts to find evidence
443
00:26:03,766 --> 00:26:07,400
of manioc and peach palm
cultivation.
444
00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,933
Other research has shown
that early Amazonians
445
00:26:10,933 --> 00:26:16,366
also planted cacao, tobacco,
papaya, and chili peppers.
446
00:26:16,366 --> 00:26:18,466
Todos los trabajos de las
últimas,
447
00:26:18,466 --> 00:26:20,666
de los últimos 20 años...
448
00:26:20,666 --> 00:26:23,333
(translated):
Work in the last 20 years
449
00:26:23,333 --> 00:26:26,666
has shown that Amazonia is
an independent center
450
00:26:26,666 --> 00:26:29,433
of plant domestication.
451
00:26:29,433 --> 00:26:31,300
Manioc is a great example.
452
00:26:31,300 --> 00:26:33,500
Su experimentación inicial...
453
00:26:33,500 --> 00:26:35,433
(translated):
We know that the first
experimentation
454
00:26:35,433 --> 00:26:38,966
in domesticating it began
8,000 or 9,000 years ago
455
00:26:38,966 --> 00:26:40,900
here in Amazonia.
456
00:26:40,900 --> 00:26:43,933
It is the same with cacao,
457
00:26:43,933 --> 00:26:46,566
tobacco,
458
00:26:46,566 --> 00:26:48,533
coca, and papaya.
459
00:26:49,733 --> 00:26:54,100
NARRATOR:
But how could early Amazonians
grow all these crops?
460
00:26:54,100 --> 00:26:55,833
It has long been known
461
00:26:55,833 --> 00:27:01,866
that the soils of the Amazon
are naturally sandy and acidic.
462
00:27:01,866 --> 00:27:03,900
Nutrients in the topsoil
463
00:27:03,900 --> 00:27:06,733
are absorbed by
the dense vegetation
464
00:27:06,733 --> 00:27:11,733
or leached away
by the constant rain.
465
00:27:11,733 --> 00:27:14,766
This is what led archaeologists
to believe
466
00:27:14,766 --> 00:27:18,300
intensive agriculture,
and therefore large populations,
467
00:27:18,300 --> 00:27:22,533
were impossible in Amazonia.
468
00:27:22,533 --> 00:27:26,033
HECKENBERGER:
When I came into the field,
it was widely assumed
469
00:27:26,033 --> 00:27:28,000
that Amazonian soils
470
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:31,100
were not particularly fertile,
they were difficult to work,
471
00:27:31,100 --> 00:27:33,933
and would not provide
the type of productivity
472
00:27:33,933 --> 00:27:36,800
that could support
large populations
473
00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:38,533
based on agriculture.
474
00:27:38,533 --> 00:27:43,233
Well, we've come to realize
that not only are Amazonian
475
00:27:43,233 --> 00:27:45,833
agricultural systems
very diverse,
476
00:27:45,833 --> 00:27:48,500
use a wide variety of crops,
fruit trees,
477
00:27:48,500 --> 00:27:52,200
but they also focus,
as often as not, on root crops,
478
00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:56,266
rather than seed crops,
like corn or wheat or rice.
479
00:27:56,266 --> 00:27:59,866
And it turns out that manioc,
the primary root crop,
480
00:27:59,866 --> 00:28:03,600
actually does quite
well in Amazonian soils.
481
00:28:05,933 --> 00:28:09,666
NARRATOR:
But what about the other crops
that early Amazonians planted,
482
00:28:09,666 --> 00:28:12,266
like cacao, tobacco, coca,
483
00:28:12,266 --> 00:28:15,433
and papaya,
that require more fertile
484
00:28:15,433 --> 00:28:18,133
and less acidic soils?
485
00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,200
By the banks of
Brazil's Rio Negro
486
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,266
in the northwest Amazon,
487
00:28:26,266 --> 00:28:28,800
a team of Western and
Indigenous archaeologists
488
00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:33,633
is investigating the soils of
an ancient Indigenous community.
489
00:28:33,633 --> 00:28:35,933
(rain falling steadily)
490
00:28:37,933 --> 00:28:41,633
Led by archaeologist
Manuel Arroyo-Kalin,
491
00:28:41,633 --> 00:28:45,266
they discover
a thick layer of dark earth
492
00:28:45,266 --> 00:28:49,000
quite different from
normal jungle soils.
493
00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,433
(speaking Portuguese)
494
00:28:51,433 --> 00:28:52,933
(translated):
It is a loose, rich earth,
495
00:28:52,933 --> 00:28:55,133
which is fantastic
for cultivating,
496
00:28:55,133 --> 00:28:58,033
because it's very fertile.
497
00:28:58,033 --> 00:28:59,933
In fact, we are finding
498
00:28:59,933 --> 00:29:03,033
pieces of bone in it,
which tell us
499
00:29:03,033 --> 00:29:05,200
that its pH is higher,
more alkaline, than usual
500
00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:06,566
in acid jungle soils.
501
00:29:06,566 --> 00:29:10,300
It is probably close to
pH neutral,
502
00:29:10,300 --> 00:29:13,733
which is why it preserves
bone material much better.
503
00:29:15,166 --> 00:29:18,533
NARRATOR:
This rich dark earth is called
terra preta,
504
00:29:18,533 --> 00:29:22,500
and it does not exist naturally
in the Amazon.
505
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,633
Ancient people had to create it
506
00:29:26,633 --> 00:29:29,866
by carefully composting ash,
crushed bones,
507
00:29:29,866 --> 00:29:32,800
pottery shards,
and vegetable refuse
508
00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:35,733
into the soil around
their communities.
509
00:29:38,233 --> 00:29:40,400
Over generations,
this transformed
510
00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:42,066
the acidic jungle sands
511
00:29:42,066 --> 00:29:44,433
and clays
into the rich dark soil
512
00:29:44,433 --> 00:29:48,033
that could sustain
intensive agriculture.
513
00:29:50,866 --> 00:29:55,566
Tucano archaeology student
Jurandir da Silva
514
00:29:55,566 --> 00:30:00,166
is fascinated by how his
ancestors created terra preta.
515
00:30:01,300 --> 00:30:05,300
(Jurandir da Silva speaking
Portuguese)
516
00:30:05,300 --> 00:30:09,233
(translated):
They transformed the soil
according to their needs,
517
00:30:09,233 --> 00:30:13,733
over many years
turning refuse into the soil,
518
00:30:13,733 --> 00:30:16,533
letting it decompose,
519
00:30:16,533 --> 00:30:18,733
and then putting more and more
on top.
520
00:30:18,733 --> 00:30:22,000
And with time,
521
00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:24,400
the terra preta becomes
really fertile
522
00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:26,933
and productive.
523
00:30:26,933 --> 00:30:29,800
People still use it today
for their agriculture.
524
00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:33,733
HECKENBERGER:
It turns out human activities,
525
00:30:33,733 --> 00:30:36,400
just basic refuse activities,
526
00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:39,100
and the upkeep of
houses and villages
527
00:30:39,100 --> 00:30:41,133
incorporates materials
into the soil
528
00:30:41,133 --> 00:30:42,666
that make them more fertile,
529
00:30:42,666 --> 00:30:45,500
that make them more suitable
for agricultural production.
530
00:30:45,500 --> 00:30:47,500
(birds chirping)
531
00:30:47,500 --> 00:30:48,900
NARRATOR:
Ancient Amazonians
532
00:30:48,900 --> 00:30:53,000
clearly understood the value
of this composting.
533
00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:55,700
They used it to
transform jungle soils
534
00:30:55,700 --> 00:30:57,466
so that they could support
535
00:30:57,466 --> 00:31:02,400
intensive agriculture and
large populations.
536
00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:04,666
NEVES:
These production strategies,
they were good enough
537
00:31:04,666 --> 00:31:06,366
to keep the people living
together--
538
00:31:06,366 --> 00:31:07,366
we're talking about hundreds
539
00:31:07,366 --> 00:31:08,500
or thousands of people--
540
00:31:08,500 --> 00:31:11,400
for a long time
in the same place.
541
00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:15,766
NARRATOR:
As well as creating fertile
soils around their communities,
542
00:31:15,766 --> 00:31:18,233
ancient Amazonians also
543
00:31:18,233 --> 00:31:20,166
carefully managed
the rain forest.
544
00:31:20,166 --> 00:31:22,400
(wildlife chittering)
545
00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:26,366
They gathered certain trees,
like peach palm and Brazil nut,
546
00:31:26,366 --> 00:31:30,166
in groves, where they could
be visited occasionally
547
00:31:30,166 --> 00:31:32,566
and their fruits harvested.
548
00:31:32,566 --> 00:31:35,200
To this day,
549
00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:38,000
even very remote parts
of the Amazon
550
00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:40,666
bear the mark of this
ancient forest management.
551
00:31:40,666 --> 00:31:45,566
What Europeans imagined as
pristine wilderness
552
00:31:45,566 --> 00:31:51,166
was in fact for millennia
a semi-domesticated landscape.
553
00:31:51,166 --> 00:31:54,500
La gente lo que hace con las
plantas es...
554
00:31:54,500 --> 00:31:55,600
(translated):
What those people did
555
00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:57,966
was to propagate
certain species,
556
00:31:57,966 --> 00:32:00,433
concentrating them
in a few places.
557
00:32:00,433 --> 00:32:03,766
...de selva con una cierta...
558
00:32:03,766 --> 00:32:05,333
(translated):
And so we see a jungle
559
00:32:05,333 --> 00:32:07,200
that is a mosaic of species
560
00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:08,900
which is the product of
their work.
561
00:32:08,900 --> 00:32:13,500
...trabajo, lo que vemos hoy en
parte es...
562
00:32:13,500 --> 00:32:16,933
(translated):
What we see today is the
fruit of human actions
563
00:32:16,933 --> 00:32:21,466
that managed the forest
without destroying it.
564
00:32:21,466 --> 00:32:25,966
(Helena Lima
speaking Portuguese)
565
00:32:25,966 --> 00:32:29,500
(translated):
The latest research shows
566
00:32:29,500 --> 00:32:32,266
that the landscape
567
00:32:32,266 --> 00:32:35,033
and much of
the biodiversity of the jungle
568
00:32:35,033 --> 00:32:38,700
was created by
the Indigenous community
569
00:32:38,700 --> 00:32:42,700
that lived here in the past
and still live here now.
570
00:32:42,700 --> 00:32:45,500
♪ ♪
571
00:32:45,500 --> 00:32:49,100
NARRATOR:
More than 80 species of plants
were domesticated
572
00:32:49,100 --> 00:32:52,700
or semi-domesticated
by ancient Amazonians.
573
00:32:52,700 --> 00:32:55,966
That process began
about the same time as
574
00:32:55,966 --> 00:33:00,166
the so-called Neolithic
Revolution in the Middle East.
575
00:33:00,166 --> 00:33:04,766
But it was very different,
and led to different results.
576
00:33:04,766 --> 00:33:07,100
NEVES:
Typically, an archaeologist
would say,
577
00:33:07,100 --> 00:33:09,400
"Well, these people,
they never really completed
578
00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:10,700
"the full Neolithic cycle.
579
00:33:10,700 --> 00:33:11,933
"They never really became
580
00:33:11,933 --> 00:33:15,066
fully formed farmers."
581
00:33:15,066 --> 00:33:16,933
But what archaeology
tells us today
582
00:33:16,933 --> 00:33:18,566
is that that perspective
is not right,
583
00:33:18,566 --> 00:33:21,200
that these people were
building their whole histories
584
00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:22,733
based on
a different perspective,
585
00:33:22,733 --> 00:33:25,033
on a different logic.
586
00:33:25,033 --> 00:33:26,600
NARRATOR:
In the Middle East,
587
00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:30,700
plant domestication was
based upon a handful of crops,
588
00:33:30,700 --> 00:33:36,666
such as wheat and barley,
which could be easily stored.
589
00:33:36,666 --> 00:33:38,666
The accumulation of surpluses
590
00:33:38,666 --> 00:33:41,366
and the development
of huge irrigation systems
591
00:33:41,366 --> 00:33:43,300
that had to be administered
592
00:33:43,300 --> 00:33:47,200
led to forms of
centralized political control.
593
00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:51,900
From these arose
the first cities and empires.
594
00:33:51,900 --> 00:33:53,633
♪ ♪
595
00:33:53,633 --> 00:33:58,033
In Amazonia,
it was different.
596
00:33:58,033 --> 00:34:00,966
The need for irrigation
was minimal.
597
00:34:00,966 --> 00:34:02,466
The humid climate
598
00:34:02,466 --> 00:34:06,533
made storage and surpluses
impossible.
599
00:34:06,533 --> 00:34:10,200
So, highly centralized urban
settlements never developed.
600
00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:12,300
♪ ♪
601
00:34:12,300 --> 00:34:15,200
What emerged were
towns and chiefdoms
602
00:34:15,200 --> 00:34:17,933
with populations
in the tens of thousands,
603
00:34:17,933 --> 00:34:22,500
but not grand cities
and empires.
604
00:34:24,466 --> 00:34:27,300
♪ ♪
605
00:34:27,300 --> 00:34:31,233
There was not just one
ancient Amazonian culture,
606
00:34:31,233 --> 00:34:32,933
but many.
607
00:34:36,433 --> 00:34:40,966
They appeared all along the
Amazon River itself,
608
00:34:40,966 --> 00:34:45,366
from the Guianas in the north
to the Xingu in the south.
609
00:34:45,366 --> 00:34:47,233
All distinct,
610
00:34:47,233 --> 00:34:51,200
all with
their own unique styles.
611
00:34:51,200 --> 00:34:53,566
One of the most remarkable
612
00:34:53,566 --> 00:34:56,200
is from
the high jungle of Peru,
613
00:34:56,200 --> 00:35:00,533
at a site called
Monte Grande.
614
00:35:00,533 --> 00:35:04,233
QUIRINO OLIVERA:
Siempre el punto crítico...
615
00:35:04,233 --> 00:35:06,533
(translated):
Always, the central point
of the scientists
616
00:35:06,533 --> 00:35:09,833
of the academy
was that in Amazonia,
617
00:35:09,833 --> 00:35:13,000
there was no
monumental architecture.
618
00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:17,966
There was no evidence of
organized populations capable of
619
00:35:17,966 --> 00:35:19,966
building
monumental architecture
620
00:35:19,966 --> 00:35:22,500
because they thought
they were just hunter-gatherers.
621
00:35:25,266 --> 00:35:28,233
NARRATOR:
Peruvian archaeologist
Quirino Olivera
622
00:35:28,233 --> 00:35:32,633
had always wondered about
the strangely symmetrical mounds
623
00:35:32,633 --> 00:35:34,566
by the banks of
the Marañon River,
624
00:35:34,566 --> 00:35:38,400
a tributary of
the Upper Amazon.
625
00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:41,266
They seemed natural,
626
00:35:41,266 --> 00:35:45,000
but could people have
constructed them?
627
00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:48,400
In 2010,
628
00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:50,533
he started to excavate
a similar mound
629
00:35:50,533 --> 00:35:55,200
on the outskirts of
the nearby town of Jaén.
630
00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:57,800
It is the rainy season
in the high jungle,
631
00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:01,066
so every night, they must
cover the site to protect it,
632
00:36:01,066 --> 00:36:03,533
then uncover
it the next morning.
633
00:36:03,533 --> 00:36:06,833
OLIVERA:
En el año 2010...
634
00:36:06,833 --> 00:36:08,000
(translated):
In 2010,
635
00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:09,766
we started
archaeological research
636
00:36:09,766 --> 00:36:12,400
on a mound that, up until then,
637
00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:14,633
had been completely neglected.
638
00:36:14,633 --> 00:36:17,200
We had no idea
that we were on the verge
639
00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:19,533
of a discovery so important.
640
00:36:19,533 --> 00:36:22,766
NARRATOR:
Quirino has been excavating
641
00:36:22,766 --> 00:36:25,700
the site at Monte Grande
ever since.
642
00:36:25,700 --> 00:36:28,866
It is one of the most
extraordinary
643
00:36:28,866 --> 00:36:32,966
and baffling archaeological
finds of recent years.
644
00:36:32,966 --> 00:36:36,533
Ese detalle de sacar capa por
capa nos lleváron
645
00:36:36,533 --> 00:36:38,366
a identificar...
646
00:36:38,366 --> 00:36:40,733
(translated):
As we cleared away the
top layers of soil,
647
00:36:40,733 --> 00:36:44,200
we began to see stones
648
00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:47,700
in a circular arrangement.
649
00:36:47,700 --> 00:36:51,800
Then platforms and
terraces began to appear.
650
00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:56,766
That really surprised us--
it seemed extraordinary.
651
00:36:56,766 --> 00:37:01,966
♪ ♪
652
00:37:01,966 --> 00:37:06,600
NARRATOR:
As the full structure emerged,
their surprise grew.
653
00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:12,033
Here was a massive pyramid, as
tall as a five-story building,
654
00:37:12,033 --> 00:37:16,233
constructed from
clay, stone, and reed,
655
00:37:16,233 --> 00:37:21,533
with a mysterious stone spiral
built on its summit.
656
00:37:23,466 --> 00:37:27,400
The carbon-14 dates
were even more astonishing.
657
00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:33,266
The pyramid was
built over 5,000 years ago,
658
00:37:33,266 --> 00:37:37,000
even before the pyramids of
Egypt and Mesopotamia,
659
00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:39,933
a time when archaeologists
had believed
660
00:37:39,933 --> 00:37:44,466
the Amazon was populated only
by hunter-gatherers.
661
00:37:44,466 --> 00:37:46,833
♪ ♪
662
00:37:46,833 --> 00:37:51,333
The find is so important,
Quirino has invited
663
00:37:51,333 --> 00:37:55,766
famed Brazilian archaeologist
Eduardo Neves to visit.
664
00:37:55,766 --> 00:37:58,366
!¡No creo que estoy acá!
!¡Verdad!
665
00:37:58,366 --> 00:37:59,800
!¡Que alegría!
Que lindo.
666
00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:01,233
Permiso, pasar para
667
00:38:01,233 --> 00:38:03,800
hacer una pequeña ceremonia
que tenemos acá.
668
00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:06,466
Claro, si.
Por tu llegada.
669
00:38:06,466 --> 00:38:08,933
(both laughing)
!¡Que lindo, Quirino!
670
00:38:08,933 --> 00:38:11,300
He visto
tantos fotos de acá,
671
00:38:11,300 --> 00:38:12,666
imágenes.
(inaudible)
672
00:38:12,666 --> 00:38:14,633
Y ahora finalmente
estar acá...
673
00:38:14,633 --> 00:38:16,100
Si, es una
maravilla.
(inaudible)
674
00:38:16,100 --> 00:38:19,933
NARRATOR:
Quirino is of Indigenous descent
675
00:38:19,933 --> 00:38:21,533
and celebrates the occasion
676
00:38:21,533 --> 00:38:22,966
with an offering to
the Pachamama,
677
00:38:22,966 --> 00:38:24,566
goddess of the Earth.
678
00:38:24,566 --> 00:38:25,833
Salud, bienvenido.
679
00:38:25,833 --> 00:38:30,733
♪ ♪
680
00:38:34,733 --> 00:38:38,233
NEVES:
To be here at Monte Grande,
for me, it's really like
681
00:38:38,233 --> 00:38:39,533
a dream fulfilled,
682
00:38:39,533 --> 00:38:40,866
because I've been
teaching classes
683
00:38:40,866 --> 00:38:42,933
on South American archaeology
for many years,
684
00:38:42,933 --> 00:38:44,433
on Amazonian archaeology,
685
00:38:44,433 --> 00:38:47,033
and of course, I know
of Quirino's work,
686
00:38:47,033 --> 00:38:49,366
but being here is
a total different story.
687
00:38:49,366 --> 00:38:52,700
You can have a feeling about
the power of the place,
688
00:38:52,700 --> 00:38:55,133
where it is located in
this valley,
689
00:38:55,133 --> 00:38:56,300
surrounded by the mountains.
690
00:38:56,300 --> 00:38:57,966
This is a very important site.
691
00:38:57,966 --> 00:38:59,133
It's one of the most important
692
00:38:59,133 --> 00:39:00,200
archaeological sites
693
00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:02,133
that we have in the Americas,
694
00:39:02,133 --> 00:39:04,166
not only here in South America.
695
00:39:04,166 --> 00:39:09,266
NARRATOR:
Monte Grande rewrites
the history of complex societies
696
00:39:09,266 --> 00:39:10,833
on the continent.
697
00:39:12,133 --> 00:39:15,400
For over a century,
when archaeologists wrote about
698
00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:18,900
cities and high civilization
in South America,
699
00:39:18,900 --> 00:39:22,000
they focused on cultures like
the Inca of the Andes
700
00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:25,400
or the Nazca of
the Pacific coast.
701
00:39:27,900 --> 00:39:31,033
But here at Monte Grande
is clear evidence
702
00:39:31,033 --> 00:39:35,233
of a complex society
and monumental architecture
703
00:39:35,233 --> 00:39:41,233
at least 3,000 years older
than either the Inca or Nazca.
704
00:39:41,233 --> 00:39:44,100
♪ ♪
705
00:39:44,100 --> 00:39:47,500
NEVES:
If you compare the evidence
from early architecture,
706
00:39:47,500 --> 00:39:50,766
of monumental architecture,
of plant domestication,
707
00:39:50,766 --> 00:39:53,500
we see a lot of things
happening before here
708
00:39:53,500 --> 00:39:55,166
in this part of Peru,
in the Amazon,
709
00:39:55,166 --> 00:39:58,766
not in the coast and
not even the mountains.
710
00:39:58,766 --> 00:40:01,200
So I think it really brings
711
00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:03,433
and highlights the importance
that the place
712
00:40:03,433 --> 00:40:05,400
that Amazonian
Indigenous people had
713
00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:08,600
in the deep cultural history of
this part of South America.
714
00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:12,300
NARRATOR:
The excavation of
an almost identical
715
00:40:12,300 --> 00:40:13,766
but much smaller
spiral pyramid
716
00:40:13,766 --> 00:40:16,533
in Ecuador revealed a tomb.
717
00:40:16,533 --> 00:40:18,233
This makes Quirino think
718
00:40:18,233 --> 00:40:23,633
that Monte Grande also is
the tomb of a religious leader.
719
00:40:23,633 --> 00:40:25,300
If he's right,
720
00:40:25,300 --> 00:40:28,266
it would give meaning to
the mysterious spiral
721
00:40:28,266 --> 00:40:31,233
so carefully
constructed on top of it.
722
00:40:31,233 --> 00:40:33,400
Porque el espiral es...
723
00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:37,133
(translated):
The spiral is one of the
most ancient symbols
724
00:40:37,133 --> 00:40:38,766
in the history of humanity.
725
00:40:38,766 --> 00:40:42,433
It signifies the beginning
and the end of life,
726
00:40:42,433 --> 00:40:45,000
the endless creation of
one generation
727
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:46,300
from the preceding one.
728
00:40:46,300 --> 00:40:48,333
Yo estoy sentado en
el centro
729
00:40:48,333 --> 00:40:50,433
de la arquitectura
en forma de espiral.
730
00:40:50,433 --> 00:40:54,400
(translated):
I am sitting at the center of
the spiral architecture,
731
00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:57,800
and right beneath me,
in the spiral's center,
732
00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:01,166
would be the tomb
of that high-status individual.
733
00:41:01,166 --> 00:41:04,266
Suponemos que está...
734
00:41:04,266 --> 00:41:09,400
(translated):
We believe that he is
seated in a fetal position.
735
00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:11,866
And from
the center of his head,
736
00:41:11,866 --> 00:41:15,700
the spiral expands out
like the axis mundi,
737
00:41:15,700 --> 00:41:18,066
the axis of the cosmos.
738
00:41:18,066 --> 00:41:20,666
Y eso además tiene un concepto
astronómico,
739
00:41:20,666 --> 00:41:22,500
probablemente por...
740
00:41:22,500 --> 00:41:26,266
(translated):
This also probably had important
astronomical associations,
741
00:41:26,266 --> 00:41:30,133
as in most ancient societies
who studied the night sky,
742
00:41:30,133 --> 00:41:34,066
the stars, and linked them
to life on Earth.
743
00:41:34,066 --> 00:41:39,100
♪ ♪
744
00:41:40,866 --> 00:41:44,333
(flames crackling)
745
00:41:44,333 --> 00:41:50,333
(Eduardo Izmiño speaking
Awajún)
746
00:41:50,333 --> 00:41:54,400
(translated):
In the beginning,
everything was in darkness.
747
00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:57,000
(continues in Awajún)
748
00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:59,800
(translated):
There was no fire and no light.
749
00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:03,066
(continues in Awajún)
750
00:42:03,066 --> 00:42:07,933
(translated):
The only one with fire
was a being called Iwa.
751
00:42:07,933 --> 00:42:11,200
(continues in Awajún)
752
00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:13,700
(translated):
So, before the world could
begin,
753
00:42:13,700 --> 00:42:19,066
our ancestor had
to steal fire from him.
754
00:42:19,066 --> 00:42:21,333
NARRATOR:
Quirino believes Monte Grande
755
00:42:21,333 --> 00:42:27,133
embodies profound beliefs about
life, death, and the cosmos.
756
00:42:27,133 --> 00:42:31,766
The creation story of today's
Awajún people does, too.
757
00:42:31,766 --> 00:42:33,833
It tells of
a primordial time
758
00:42:33,833 --> 00:42:36,900
when people and animals
spoke to each other.
759
00:42:36,900 --> 00:42:40,266
Through their adventures,
the world was born.
760
00:42:40,266 --> 00:42:42,400
(flames crackling)
761
00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:47,933
The story is told by
Eduardo Izmiño, Awajún elder,
762
00:42:47,933 --> 00:42:50,300
and his wife of
many years, Teresa.
763
00:42:50,300 --> 00:42:55,166
They live nearby, and
have often wondered about
764
00:42:55,166 --> 00:42:57,466
the people who built
Monte Grande.
765
00:42:57,466 --> 00:43:02,200
They don't feel related to them,
but are impressed.
766
00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:05,266
¿Este trabajo, que nos da?
¿Qué nos enseña?
767
00:43:05,266 --> 00:43:09,500
(translated): So, what does this
place teach us?
768
00:43:09,500 --> 00:43:13,800
It's clear that in those times,
there was no money,
769
00:43:13,800 --> 00:43:17,533
but there was hunting
and fishing, a lot of it.
770
00:43:17,533 --> 00:43:21,666
The people ate very well.
771
00:43:21,666 --> 00:43:23,666
There was a lot of solidarity.
772
00:43:23,666 --> 00:43:25,966
This required a lot of work,
773
00:43:25,966 --> 00:43:27,533
a big communal work.
774
00:43:27,533 --> 00:43:30,300
They were living from
hunting and fishing,
775
00:43:30,300 --> 00:43:32,800
and here,
there was a lot of people:
776
00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:35,966
children,
young people, adults.
777
00:43:35,966 --> 00:43:39,566
That was in those times,
working together.
778
00:43:39,566 --> 00:43:41,766
(translated):
One person could never
do all this.
779
00:43:41,766 --> 00:43:45,233
NARRATOR:
Eduardo and Teresa are not
780
00:43:45,233 --> 00:43:48,066
the only ones to
marvel at the achievements
781
00:43:48,066 --> 00:43:51,933
of the ancient peoples
of the Amazon.
782
00:43:51,933 --> 00:43:56,400
Evidence of them is being found
from the Atlantic to the Andes.
783
00:43:56,400 --> 00:44:00,866
Not hunter-gatherers living in
a tropical wilderness,
784
00:44:00,866 --> 00:44:05,266
but sophisticated cultures.
785
00:44:05,266 --> 00:44:09,766
The hidden history of the
lost civilizations of the Amazon
786
00:44:09,766 --> 00:44:12,800
is being unearthed.
787
00:44:16,933 --> 00:44:22,966
♪ ♪
788
00:44:24,900 --> 00:44:30,533
What happened to those ancient
Amazonian farmers and builders?
789
00:44:32,300 --> 00:44:36,400
Most scholars estimate
that within 100 years of
790
00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:39,400
their first contacts
with Europeans,
791
00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:44,033
about 80% of the
Indigenous populations died,
792
00:44:44,033 --> 00:44:47,366
killed by epidemics of
European diseases
793
00:44:47,366 --> 00:44:50,266
to which they had no immunity.
794
00:44:50,266 --> 00:44:54,866
Violence by settlers and
rubber tappers killed even more.
795
00:44:54,866 --> 00:44:59,433
Perhaps as many as
eight million people died.
796
00:45:02,833 --> 00:45:07,366
The great urban complexes and
agricultural systems of Amazonia
797
00:45:07,366 --> 00:45:10,300
were reclaimed by
the rain forest.
798
00:45:10,300 --> 00:45:13,900
♪ ♪
799
00:45:13,900 --> 00:45:17,200
The pristine wilderness
that many Europeans imagined
800
00:45:17,200 --> 00:45:19,800
was in fact a landscape
emptied of
801
00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:22,333
most of its
former inhabitants.
802
00:45:22,333 --> 00:45:25,500
(wildlife chittering)
803
00:45:30,566 --> 00:45:32,366
(horn honks)
804
00:45:32,366 --> 00:45:33,833
Today,
805
00:45:33,833 --> 00:45:37,166
an estimated one-and-a-half
million Indigenous people
806
00:45:37,166 --> 00:45:39,033
live in the Amazon.
807
00:45:39,033 --> 00:45:41,200
In 1492,
808
00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:44,066
there were many, many more.
809
00:45:44,066 --> 00:45:47,500
HECKENBERGER:
And the scale of population
in the Amazon
810
00:45:47,500 --> 00:45:50,500
has been a question that has
drawn a lot of attention
811
00:45:50,500 --> 00:45:51,866
for, um, a long time.
812
00:45:51,866 --> 00:45:54,233
But overall,
813
00:45:54,233 --> 00:45:56,833
the estimates
generally range today
814
00:45:56,833 --> 00:45:59,466
between about
five and ten million people
815
00:45:59,466 --> 00:46:02,133
in the Amazon basin.
816
00:46:02,133 --> 00:46:05,733
NARRATOR:
The scale of the destruction
brought about by the conquest
817
00:46:05,733 --> 00:46:08,800
has given archaeology's
exploration of the past
818
00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:13,200
extra relevance to
Indigenous people.
819
00:46:13,200 --> 00:46:16,200
In the city of
São Gabriel da Cachoeira,
820
00:46:16,200 --> 00:46:18,600
on the Rio Negro
in the Brazilian Amazon,
821
00:46:18,600 --> 00:46:21,366
Indigenous archaeology students
822
00:46:21,366 --> 00:46:23,100
are learning their craft.
823
00:46:23,100 --> 00:46:25,366
(Ana Keila Fontes da Silva
speaking Portuguese)
824
00:46:25,366 --> 00:46:26,500
(translated): I want to get
825
00:46:26,500 --> 00:46:28,366
involved with archaeology,
826
00:46:28,366 --> 00:46:30,833
and I do it so I can learn
827
00:46:30,833 --> 00:46:34,066
the story of my people.
828
00:46:34,066 --> 00:46:35,900
These days,
my people are interested in
829
00:46:35,900 --> 00:46:37,700
reclaiming the history of
830
00:46:37,700 --> 00:46:39,466
our Indigenous
Tariano community.
831
00:46:39,466 --> 00:46:43,733
(speaking Portuguese)
832
00:46:43,733 --> 00:46:45,700
(translated):
Learning how we got
from the past
833
00:46:45,700 --> 00:46:49,666
to where we are now,
and into the future.
834
00:46:49,666 --> 00:46:54,433
(Jurandir da Silva
speaking Portuguese)
835
00:46:54,433 --> 00:46:56,633
(translated):
For me, it was very important
836
00:46:56,633 --> 00:47:01,066
to do this archaeology workshop,
837
00:47:01,066 --> 00:47:03,500
because it looks at the origins
of my own people,
838
00:47:03,500 --> 00:47:05,066
way back in time.
839
00:47:05,066 --> 00:47:07,666
(people talking in background,
soil sifting)
840
00:47:07,666 --> 00:47:09,900
NARRATOR:
Archaeology student
Odanilde Freitas
841
00:47:09,900 --> 00:47:13,833
has been studying granite rocks
in the rapids of the Rio Negro.
842
00:47:15,433 --> 00:47:17,333
Centuries before the conquest,
843
00:47:17,333 --> 00:47:21,100
ancient people carved
mortars and grindstones in them
844
00:47:21,100 --> 00:47:23,366
to sharpen
their fish spears.
845
00:47:23,366 --> 00:47:26,200
(Freitas speaking Portuguese)
846
00:47:26,200 --> 00:47:29,333
(translated):
Here we have a polisher
and circular bowl.
847
00:47:29,333 --> 00:47:34,300
(speaking Portuguese)
848
00:47:34,300 --> 00:47:36,600
(translated):
Here we have sharpening stones--
849
00:47:36,600 --> 00:47:38,733
two in one--
850
00:47:38,733 --> 00:47:43,366
where the people sharpened
their arrows and spear points.
851
00:47:44,533 --> 00:47:47,700
NARRATOR:
Oda's archaeological work
has made her think about
852
00:47:47,700 --> 00:47:49,566
the history of her people,
853
00:47:49,566 --> 00:47:54,300
a history almost
erased by colonization.
854
00:47:54,300 --> 00:47:57,366
(translated): There has been a
big impact
855
00:47:57,366 --> 00:47:58,566
in our culture
856
00:47:58,566 --> 00:48:01,500
from the centuries of
colonization,
857
00:48:01,500 --> 00:48:02,900
but with archaeology,
858
00:48:02,900 --> 00:48:06,733
I feel we can rescue
and reconstruct our identity,
859
00:48:06,733 --> 00:48:11,666
our Indigenous history,
through artifacts like this.
860
00:48:12,733 --> 00:48:14,000
(crying, speaking Portuguese)
861
00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:16,000
(translated):
Excuse me.
862
00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:17,333
I'm sorry.
863
00:48:17,333 --> 00:48:20,433
It's because
those people were free.
864
00:48:20,433 --> 00:48:22,200
They were really free.
865
00:48:23,600 --> 00:48:26,166
My people suffered.
866
00:48:26,166 --> 00:48:28,066
They disappeared.
867
00:48:28,066 --> 00:48:30,133
Imagine how they were massacred.
868
00:48:30,133 --> 00:48:32,800
Sadly,
that's the word.
869
00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:35,200
They were massacred,
they were raped,
870
00:48:35,200 --> 00:48:38,433
physically, culturally,
871
00:48:38,433 --> 00:48:41,966
psychologically, emotionally.
872
00:48:41,966 --> 00:48:46,366
So that makes me sad
to think about the past.
873
00:48:46,366 --> 00:48:49,400
For me, it's very sad.
874
00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:51,433
NARRATOR:
The sadness Oda feels
875
00:48:51,433 --> 00:48:53,566
echoes the tragedy of
Indigenous people
876
00:48:53,566 --> 00:48:56,966
all over the Americas.
877
00:48:56,966 --> 00:49:00,900
Archaeology offers
a reminder of what was lost.
878
00:49:00,900 --> 00:49:03,966
But some Amazonian people today
879
00:49:03,966 --> 00:49:06,366
also feel that
the recent discoveries
880
00:49:06,366 --> 00:49:08,800
help establish their rights
881
00:49:08,800 --> 00:49:11,433
to the land they have
lived on for millennia.
882
00:49:11,433 --> 00:49:15,466
As their forest is cut down
883
00:49:15,466 --> 00:49:19,300
for mining, cattle pasture,
and soy fields,
884
00:49:19,300 --> 00:49:22,433
many Indigenous people
are turning to archaeology
885
00:49:22,433 --> 00:49:24,166
to support their cause.
886
00:49:24,166 --> 00:49:26,333
♪ ♪
887
00:49:26,333 --> 00:49:30,166
Kalutata Kuikuro is
an up-and-coming leader
888
00:49:30,166 --> 00:49:33,400
of a group that has become
iconic of Indigenous Amazonia
889
00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:38,066
and the struggle
for its preservation:
890
00:49:38,066 --> 00:49:39,833
the Kuikuro.
891
00:49:39,833 --> 00:49:41,800
(speaking Portuguese)
892
00:49:41,800 --> 00:49:43,500
(translated):
Today my people understand
893
00:49:43,500 --> 00:49:44,733
that archaeology is important.
894
00:49:44,733 --> 00:49:48,666
(speaking Portuguese)
895
00:49:48,666 --> 00:49:51,800
(translated):
Every day, we're being pressured
by ranchers and White people,
896
00:49:51,800 --> 00:49:55,733
so we believe that archaeology
and understanding our history
897
00:49:55,733 --> 00:49:58,300
is part of
our political struggle.
898
00:49:58,300 --> 00:50:03,133
NARRATOR:
So archaeology today is
not just about the past.
899
00:50:03,133 --> 00:50:04,766
It is bringing together
900
00:50:04,766 --> 00:50:08,566
scientists and Indigenous people
in a common cause:
901
00:50:08,566 --> 00:50:11,233
the future of the Amazon.
902
00:50:11,233 --> 00:50:13,133
NEVES:
I think that the combination
903
00:50:13,133 --> 00:50:15,566
of the so-called scientific
approaches with
904
00:50:15,566 --> 00:50:18,666
this more politically engaged
archaeology done--
905
00:50:18,666 --> 00:50:21,066
you know, the decolonialized
archaeology done--
906
00:50:21,066 --> 00:50:24,633
by Indigenous
and non-Indigenous people,
907
00:50:24,633 --> 00:50:26,966
it's going to make
archaeology more powerful
908
00:50:26,966 --> 00:50:28,966
and more relevant
and more interesting.
909
00:50:28,966 --> 00:50:32,166
Y creo que casi todos nosotros
tenemos también...
910
00:50:32,166 --> 00:50:34,000
(translated): I think all of us
have something
911
00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:36,533
very important in our thinking,
912
00:50:36,533 --> 00:50:40,433
which is our commitment
to Indigenous communities.
913
00:50:40,433 --> 00:50:43,433
Y estamos en momentos muy
difíciles en la Amazonía.
914
00:50:43,433 --> 00:50:47,300
(translated):
We are in difficult times
in Amazonia,
915
00:50:47,300 --> 00:50:50,433
because it's being destroyed.
916
00:50:50,433 --> 00:50:53,933
This is what is
bringing us together,
917
00:50:53,933 --> 00:50:57,366
thinking about how
the past can help us
918
00:50:57,366 --> 00:50:59,200
oppose the destruction
919
00:50:59,200 --> 00:51:02,466
which is now
so systematic in Amazonia.
920
00:51:02,466 --> 00:51:07,133
♪ ♪
921
00:51:07,133 --> 00:51:09,600
NARRATOR:
The revelation that for
millennia,
922
00:51:09,600 --> 00:51:13,333
the ancient Amazon was home to
complex civilizations
923
00:51:13,333 --> 00:51:15,533
is a reminder that
924
00:51:15,533 --> 00:51:20,300
humanity and the rain forest
can coexist.
925
00:51:20,300 --> 00:51:23,533
They did for thousands of years.
926
00:51:23,533 --> 00:51:26,233
They can do so again.
927
00:51:29,500 --> 00:51:35,466
MORCOTE:
Estos grupos humanos
no impactaron...
928
00:51:35,466 --> 00:51:39,400
(translated):
Those ancient human groups were
not detrimental to the forest.
929
00:51:39,400 --> 00:51:43,033
On the contrary,
they were managing the forest.
930
00:51:44,166 --> 00:51:48,033
Entonces creo que es una
enseñanza, un legado...
931
00:51:48,033 --> 00:51:50,800
(translated):
So this is a lesson, a legacy,
932
00:51:50,800 --> 00:51:54,300
that those ancient humans
have left us.
933
00:51:54,300 --> 00:51:55,900
They can teach us so much.
934
00:51:55,900 --> 00:52:00,300
Let's see if
we can learn from them.
935
00:52:00,300 --> 00:52:05,700
♪ ♪
936
00:52:22,900 --> 00:52:30,433
♪ ♪
937
00:52:37,666 --> 00:52:42,533
ANNOUNCER:
To order this program on DVD,
visit ShopPBS.
938
00:52:42,533 --> 00:52:45,266
Or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS.
939
00:52:45,266 --> 00:52:48,133
Episodes of "NOVA"
are available with Passport.
940
00:52:48,133 --> 00:52:51,866
"NOVA" is also available
on Amazon Prime Video.
941
00:52:51,866 --> 00:52:57,066
♪ ♪
942
00:53:05,933 --> 00:53:13,100
♪ ♪
73799
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