Huge Ancient City Found in Amazon Rainforest

A huge ancient city was found in the Amazon, hidden for two thousand years by lush vegetation. The site lies in the Upano area in the east of Ecuador.

The discovery would change the concepts about the history of the people of Amazon. 

The city had various houses and plazas and they were connected by various roads and canals. The site of the city was near a volcano, therefore, the soil was very rich. However, this location could be one of the possibilities for its destruction.

Professor Stephen Rostain, director of the investigation at the National Centre for Scientific Research in France who led the research, said: "This is older than any other site we know in the Amazon. We have a Eurocentric view of civilization, but this shows we have to change our idea about what is culture and civilization."

The Co-author of the research Antoine Dorison said: "It changes the way we see Amazonian cultures. Most people picture small groups, probably naked, living in huts and clearing land - this shows ancient people lived in complicated urban societies."

The city was built around 2500 years ago, and people lived there for more than 1000 years, according to experts.

The units of buildings or homes were arranged in groups of three to six units around a plaza with a central platform.

The scientists believe that the majority of these buildings were homes, but some were for ceremonies and celebrations.