Lost cities of the Amazon are discovered after being hidden under the tree canopies for centuries

A newly discovered network of'lost' ancient cities has been discovered in the Amazon, using lidar technology – dubbed'lasers in the sky' – to peer through the tropical forest canopy. The cities, built by the Casarabe communities between 500-1400 AD, are located in the Llanos de Mojos savannah-forest, Bolivia, and have been hidden under the thick tree canopies for centuries. They feature an array of elaborate and intricate structures unlike any previously discovered in the region, including 16ft-high terraces covering 54 acres – the equivalent of 30 football pitches – and 69ft-tall conical pyramids. The international team of researchers from the UK and Germany also found a vast network of reservoirs, causeways and checkpoints, spanning several miles. The discovery challenges the view of Amazonia as a historically'pristine' landscape, the researchers say, showing it was instead home to an early'urbanism' created and managed by indigenous populations for thousands of years.