Archaeological digs in the Amazon rainforest are providing new clues about Indigenous inhabitants before European colonization. Paving roads in the region has long caused deforestation, threatening local communities, but the roadwork also offers glimpses into the area's ancient past. Construction often requires archaeological surveys before paving begins, leading to discoveries along the BR-156 highway in Brazil's northern state of Amapa.
Among the findings from nine dig sites are pottery vases that may be funerary urns and small artifacts resembling human faces. Lúcio Flávio Costa Leite, who manages the Archaeological Research Center at Amapa’s Institute for Scientific and Technological Research, noted the ambivalent relationship between development projects and archaeological knowledge. He stated, "What we know about the region’s past is also tied to the opening created by these projects... At the same time, the knowledge we gain about these sites leads us to pay closer attention to these regions, including by adopting permanent protection measures."
Recent research reinforces the view of the Amazon not as a human desert, but as a landscape shaped by interconnected societies long before Columbus. The material found along BR-156 includes pottery in multiple styles and techniques reflecting influences from Brazil’s Para state to the Caribbean. Manoel Fabiano da Silva Santos, an archaeologist working for the National Department of Transport Infrastructure, explained that layers of Amazon soil form a historic timeline. Upper layers contain items like Portuguese porcelain and nails from European occupation, while deeper layers reveal pottery and ceramics from earlier Indigenous presence.
The artifacts will join Amapa's state collection, overseen by Costa Leite, which includes about 530,000 pieces. The oldest piece is around 6,140 years old, confirming a long human presence. Costa Leite emphasized the technological sophistication of ancient societies, stating, "We usually think of technology as computers and microchips... But all of this required careful reading of the landscape and deliberate choices of materials."
Indigenous Design Behind an Intriguing Monument
One of the most impressive historic areas in Amapa is the Archaeological Park of the Solstice in Calcoene. This 1,000-year-old stone monument comprises 127 carved monoliths arranged in a circle about 30 meters in diameter, set in open grassland amid the rainforest. Dubbed the "Stonehenge of the Amazon," the stones were positioned to mark the winter solstice sunrise in the Northern Hemisphere, according to archaeologist Mariana Petry Cabral of the Federal University of Minas Gerais. The stones were brought from other locations, and the site also served as a burial ground, with radiocarbon dating indicating occupation from around 1,100 years ago for hundreds of years. Discovered in 2005, the site can be visited with prior approval and is undergoing the process to become a national park. Such sites are protected by Brazilian law, adding a layer of protection for the surrounding rainforest.
Ancient Roads Point to Connected Amazon Societies
Modern archaeological and historical ecology research shows Indigenous peoples not only lived in the Amazon for centuries but also shaped it through sustainable practices. Eduardo Neves, an archaeologist at the University of Sao Paulo, has studied the region for over 30 years. Since 2023, he has led the Amazon Revealed project, using satellite scans to identify archaeological sites hidden beneath the forest canopy. Scans have revealed roads linking settlements and buried patterns indicating repeated occupation and deliberate landscape modification. Neves said these features suggest large settlements and high interconnectivity. "When people think of an Indigenous tribe, they often imagine a small village isolated in the middle of the forest. But evidence shows a high degree of interconnectivity linking different settlements," he noted. Cabral added, "Amapa is a key piece that helps us see how dynamic and active these populations were, and how they maintained networks of exchange that have been in place for millennia."
