Riddles on the Rainforest Floor

Large sculpted geometric patterns work their way across the grounds of the Amazon rainforest. These patterns known as geoglyphs lay hidden from present day consciousness for over 700 years. Due to advancements in satellite imagery and continuing deforestation their discovery is causing archeologists to rethink ancient Amazon civilization.

The first Amazon geoglyph was found in 1970 after significant deforestation revealed its existence.  Amazon geoglyphs were easily missed by locals because of their considerable size and slight difference in grass coloring, they can only truly be seen from above. The five most recent findings of circles, squares, and lines, have measurements extending nearly one mile end to end. The addition of these recent findings brings the count of known Amazon geoglyphs up to 300.

It is uncertain what purpose the geoglyphs served but one thing is sure, the tribes that made them are more numerous and advanced than once thought. The ancient people leave behind evidence of their knowledge of geometry. The construction of such sizeable shapes measuring 12 meters wide and four meters deep carved into the dense undergrowth of the rainforest could certainly be no easy task. Many puzzling questions remain, but are the answers worth clearing away more of the world’s most diverse biosphere?