Abstract
Published maps identifying archaeological sites in the Amazon basin show a paucity of sites in western Amazonia compared to the Brazilian Amazon. Whereas fewer than two dozen are identified for the Peruvian Amazon on basin-wide maps, a thorough review of unpublished archival material held by the Ministry of Culture of Peru and other sources revealed more than 400 known but unpublished sites in the Department of Loreto, challenging the notion that the region was sparsely occupied in prehistory. Our database provides the geolocation of each site and corresponding references for use by scientists seeking to better understand regional Pre-Columbian human occupation and settlement, cultural change, resource use and their landscape legacies. These data are foundational not only to the development of a richer understanding of prehistory and historical ecology of the Amazon basin but importantly for informing current land use, forest conservation and development policies as well as initiatives to support indigenous land and cultural rights in Amazonia.
Highlights
Background & SummaryAn important ongoing debate in Amazonian studies is the extent to which indigenous peoples occupied and transformed their environment in prehistory
Other evidence of human occupation remains scant, terra preta soils which have been rarely reported in Peru27–29– the same can be said for geoglyphs, petrographs, monuments and earthworks
Our database comprises a listing of 415 archaeological sites documented to date in the Department of Loreto in the Peruvian Amazon
Summary
Background & SummaryAn important ongoing debate in Amazonian studies is the extent to which indigenous peoples occupied and transformed their environment in prehistory. Our database comprises a listing of 415 archaeological sites documented to date in the Department of Loreto in the Peruvian Amazon.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
