Friday, August 29, 2008

lost cities of the Amazon?

LInk2

Heckenberger and colleagues first reported evidence of the culture — which he calls Xingu after the local river — in 2003 and now have unearthed details of the ancient communities.

The researchers found evidence of 28 prehistoric residential sites. Initial colonization began about 1,500 years ago, and the villages they studied were dated to between 750 and 450 years ago. The local population declined sharply after Europeans arrived.

(note: probably from European smallpox and other illnesses spread along trading routes)

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In a related lecture, Charles Mann discusses pre Colombian America MP3HERE

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