LiDAR reveals traces of 3-million-strong Aquiry civilisation under Amazon canopy

LiDAR (airborne laser scanning) technology, capable of penetrating the dense Amazon canopy, has revealed extensive traces of the pre-Columbian Aquiry civilisation, estimated to be around 2,500 years old. In 2024, satellite imagery identified around 1,300 structures across 134,000 km², but LiDAR uncovered significantly more. Researchers estimate the civilisation may have supported up to 3 million people.

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