△ TruthInStone

Sites › South America › Upper Xingu settlements (including Kuhikugu)

Upper Xingu settlements (including Kuhikugu)

LocationXingu Indigenous Park, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Conventional dateAbout 1250–1650 CE.
Alternative date proposalsNone with significant published support that we know of.
What is measured
  • Clustered, planned settlements with roads, plazas and earthworks. [1][2]

Studied with the Kuikuro people, whose ancestors built these 'galactic' garden cities.

Claims about this site

ClaimStatusVerdict
The pre-Columbian Amazon held large, organised societies, not just small bandsMainstreamSupported by LiDAR and excavation

Sources

  1. Heckenberger, M. J. et al. (2003). Amazonia 1492: pristine forest or cultural parkland? Science 301. doi:10.1126/science.1086112 data
  2. Heckenberger, M. J. et al. (2008). Pre-Columbian urbanism, anthropogenic landscapes, and the future of the Amazon. Science 321. doi:10.1126/science.1159769 data

Dates are summarised in our own words from the sources listed. Conventional and alternative dates are both reported; "measured" lists only dated or documented findings. Methodology.