Archaeologists discover ancient cities hidden in the Ecuadorian Amazon (photo)

Archaeologists have discovered traces of 2500-year-old cities in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador. The discovery was made using laser scanning technology.

Complete with a complex network of farmland and roads, the discovery is the oldest and largest of its kind in the region. This is reported by Smithsonian Magazine.

Located in the Upano Valley in Ecuador, a dense system of pre-Hispanic structures lies in the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains. The ancient urban centers were discovered only after using remote sensing technology that explores the landscape with lasers.

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Covering approximately 300 square kilometers, the images from the lidar survey revealed a landscape full of organized human activity. This included more than 6,000 rectangular earth platforms, as well as agricultural terraces and drainage systems.

The researchers say these structures formed at least 15 separate settlements that were connected by a system of wide, straight roads. The complex was probably occupied by people from the Kilamope and Upano cultures from about 500 BC to 300-600 AD.

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