A huge ancient complex has been discovered in the Amazon, which could change the way historians and archaeologists think about the region.
A large complex has been discovered in Ecuador which seems to have had an intricate network of roads and canals. The area is close to a volcano which would have led to fertile soil but could also have been the reason for the end of the civilisation.
According to scientists the city was built about 2 500 years ago and occupied for about a millennium.
Initial speculation is that the culture which had built the city was more widespread and sophisticated than that of the Mayans, who are often thought of as one of pre-colonial Latin America’s most developed civilisations.
Antoine Dorison, one of the researchers involved in the discovery, was quoted as saying: ‘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.’