FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, legends have lured explorers deep into the rainforest with the hope of discovering vast ancient cities overrun by nature. For some European visitors, their quests for a forgotten city led them far into the jungle, never to be seen again. But for the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon, these places were never forgotten—they were and continue to be a part of their oral histories, customs, and daily lives.
There are hundreds of different Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon, each with their own language, culture, and ways of caring for the forest.
For generations, stories have been passed down in Amazonian culture about the rich history of their ancestors. From sprawling cities to advanced roadways and forms of government, these stories formed a tapestry that shows the history of their people and their relationship with the environment.
BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CITIES?
When Europeans first arrived in South America, they brought many deadly diseases that quickly spread to the Indigenous Peoples. As their communities tragically shrank, forests began to grow over their cities. By the time European explorers journeyed into the rainforest, the cities were already hidden beneath the trees.
For hundreds of years, the Indigenous Peoples shared their history through stories, songs, and traditions. However, European explorers were quick to dismiss the accounts of the ancient settlements, saying they were untrue.
Many explorers looked down on the Indigenous Peoples and did not take their claims seriously, for how could a vast city exist in the middle of dense forest?
Research shows that there are between 10,000 and 24,000 “earthworks” predating Columbus in parts of South America.
These attitudes have largely continued into the modern day. High above the treetops of the Amazon, in the Andes Mountains, local people knew of an ancient city and frequently used it for farming. Later, an American explorer made it known to the outside world and called the city Machu Picchu.
Stories like this are all too common. Cities are constantly being found hidden beneath deep forests, although locals have known of these sites for generations. The site of Kuhikugu in Brazil, located along the Xingu River in the Amazon, was long known by its local people through oral history but was uncovered by Europeans in 1925.
By the early 2000s, archaeologists had discovered that Kuhikugu was not one large city. It was a series of smaller towns connected through roads, complex structures, and trenches to protect them from invaders.
Some believe the site of Kuhikugu was what Percy Faucett, the famed British archaeologist, thought was the “lost city of Z.”
With the help of the local Kuikuro people, likely descendants of the original inhabitants of the area, archaeologists have been able to uncover much of the site. They have made important findings about the life of Indigenous Amazonians before Europeans arrived in the 16th century.
As more of these sites are uncovered, one thing remains clear: many of these cities were never truly lost. Some of these ancient places may have been hidden beneath dense forests, but they were not forgotten. Indigenous Peoples kept their ancestors’ stories alive, passing them down to the next generation and protecting their history.