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Ancient Builders of the Amazon | Full Documentary | NOVA | PBS

NOVA PBS Official | September 13, 2025



Archaeological discoveries reveal long-forgotten ancient civilizations in the Amazon.

#NOVAPBS Official Website https://to.pbs.org/3HX6oTP

Recent stunning discoveries are exploding the myth of the Amazon as a primeval wilderness, revealing traces of ancient civilizations that flourished there for centuries. Dense settlements indicate populations in the millions, supported by sophisticated agricultural systems, while huge geometric earthworks and roadways bear witness to complex religious ideas and social networks. The evidence is now clear that, far from being an untouched wilderness, the Amazon has been shaped by human hands for millennia.

Spanish subtitles and dubbing now available! To access these, click the gear icon at the bottom right of the video and change the audio track and subtitles to Spanish.

Β‘SubtΓ­tulos y doblaje en espaΓ±ol ya disponibles! Para acceder a ellos, haga clic en el icono del engranaje en la esquina inferior derecha del video y cambie “Audio Track” y “Subtitles” a espaΓ±ol.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:55 The Amazon Rainforest Human History
04:35 Bolivian Amazon Archeology Efforts: Llanos de Mojos
09:50 Results of 2019 LIDAR Survey of Mound
14:19 Working with the Indigenous People of the Amazon
18:10 Evidence of the Arrival of First Humans in the Amazon
26:43 Uncovering Agriculture Practices of Early Amazon Civilizations
34:20 Peruvian Amazon Archaeology Efforts: Monte Grande
44:19 What Happened to the First Amazonians?
45:26 Indigenous People Getting Involved in Local Archaeology Efforts
51:00 Conclusion

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#amazonrainforest #peru #bolivia #pyramid #archeology #firsthumans #ancientcivilizations

Written by NOVA PBS Official

Comments

This post currently has 20 comments.

  1. @kelseycoyote6576

    September 13, 2025 at 12:25 pm

    Five thousand years ago most still worshipped the divine mother. She was known by many names in many cultures for fifty thousand years and much earlier. Societies were matriarchal. Love the Amazon and this enlightened video. Outstanding!

  2. @IndriidaeNT

    September 13, 2025 at 12:25 pm

    What a great documentary! I love the Amazon rainforest, not just for its wonderful biodiversity and animals, but also for its indigenous peoples like the Yanomami and Matis. One of these days in the future to celebrate the anniversary of The Hall of South American Peoples, Ancient Americas and Ancient American Art, the AMNH, Field Museum, Met Museum or Art Institute of Chicago should create a traveling exhibit all about the Yanomami, Matis or Incas, Moche and Chimu and their culture, habitats that they lived in in the Amazon rainforest or Andes Mounatins, through featherwork and pottery, artifacts, artworks, animal (macaws, toucans, three-toed sloths, new world monkeys, llamas, lesser rheas, maned wolves, capybaras, vampire bats, ocelots, jaguars and green anacondas plus poison dart frogs.) models and taxidermies, life-sized dioramas, the reconstruction of a Yanomami Village in the Amazon rainforest or Inca, Moche or Chimu ruins in the Andes Mountains and information on these cultures and animals' histories, culture, art, biology, natural histories, anthropologies and so much more with a opening exhibit about how humans first colonized South America in the Last Ice Age and crossed paths with giant ground sloths, glyptodonts, Toxodon, terror birds, Macrachenia, mastodons and Smilodon through life sized dioramas, cave paintings, artworks and artifacts.

  3. @Mickkie

    September 13, 2025 at 12:25 pm

    I've always believed, felt that earth is way much more older than what we think, know. That, there are cities ontop of cities ontop of cities etcs, etc's, BURIED eons ago, ALL ACROSS this world.

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