Rapid deforestation in combination with Google Earth has allowed the detection of 210 geoglyphs in 200 different site sites, in a strip of 250 kilometers by 10 kilometers wide in the Amazon. Just like the Nazca lines, the incredible geometric, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic designs of the Amazon can only be truly appreciated from the air. The question remains, why?

Numerous remains of what is obviously part of an ancient and hitherto unknown civilization have appeared under the trees of the Amazon rainforest. According to researchers, 260 huge avenues, long irrigation canals, and fences for livestock have been spotted from the air. The discovery was made in the vicinity of the border between Bolivia and Brazil.

The ruins have been uncovered due to rapid deforestation, a process that is revealing what previously was hidden under deep layers of vegetation. The traditional idea many historians share  is that before the arrival of Spanish and Portuguese in the fifteenth century, and unlike conventional history in the Andes, there weren’t any advanced civilizations in the Amazon region. But, given the fact how deforestation has revealed much of the hidden secrets of the area, scholars are confident that an advanced civilization inhabited the area in the distant past. The numerous aerial and satellite images are revealing, a complex network of towns, cities, roads, and structures that until now had remained hidden under the impenetrable layer of the Amazon.

So far, researchers have been aided by Google Earth which has allowed them to identify structures that are not visible from the ground. So far, numerous discoveries have been made, some of them are square or rectangular structures, while others form concentric circles or complex geometric figures as hexagons and octagons, all connected by a network of wide avenues.

Researchers found neat trenches or pits, that are between 1 and 4 meters deep, and upturned 11-12 meters wide. These are found in different sizes and designs: circles, squares, rectangles, compound shapes, straight and parallel lines. In addition, the figures are connected by what appear to be “roads”.

Although there is no evidence that the ancient inhabitants of the Amazon have built pyramids and developed a written language, as the ancient Egyptians did, they did show signs of great social complexity and an ability to tame the environment, something very different from what they do today, as the isolated tribes living in the Amazon today have a very different social agenda.

Thanks to excavation, researchers have unearthed pottery, carved stones and other elements that point towards signs of human habitation, although some of the sites did not yield any artifacts, researchers suggest that some of the archaeological sites might have had ceremonial functions while others might have been intended for defensive purposes.

The dominating features of geometry and the dimension of the geoglyphs reveals something fascinating about the ancient inhabitants of the region. Researchers thought that the ancient people, local to the area were only nomads, hunters and gatherers in the distant past, but the number of structures and their size point towards a complex society with tremendous capabilities in numerous fields. Researchers estimate that in some of the archaeological sites discovered so far, the population was around 70,000.

Researchers know very little about this Amazonian civilization, so far, thanks to the pottery discovered during excavations, researchers were able to place the civilization in history around 2000 years ago.

Speaking to the NYTimes, Denise Schaan, an archaeologist at the Federal University of Pará in Brazil who now leads research on the geoglyphs said radiocarbon testing indicated that they were built 1,000 to 2,000 years ago, and might have been rebuilt several times during that period.

“If one wants to recreate pre-Columbian Amazonia, most of the forest needs to be removed, with many people and a managed, highly productive landscape replacing it,” said William Woods, a geographer at the University of Kansas who is part of a team studying the Acre geoglyphs. “I know that this will not sit well with ardent environmentalists,” Mr. Woods said, “but what else can one say?”

The great American southwest is considered by many as a place of extremes, ancient people, spirits and legends that even today, inhabit the region. Thousands of years ago, an ancient culture flourished in the region and left amazing footprints in the sub-American continent, giant cities, dwellings in the cliffs and ceremonial chambers called kivas, were found, and all of them belonged to the Anasazi. Even today, there are people who firmly believe in these stories, and that the spirits of this ancient culture still inhabit the lands.

Today most of the world’s population lives in cities surrounded by a man-made environment. But many still believe in another world, full of spirits and ancient magic, a world that can be reached through mystical experiences and legends passed on from generation to generation. But how real are these stories we hear about? The region called “Four Corners” well-known by the confluence of four states: Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico is indigenous to the land of the ancient Anasazi and other great ancient cultures.

Even thought these ancient cultures died long ago, their spirits are still a powerful presence in the region, one that many are able to feel.

In 1897 a rancher looking for cattle that had strayed from a herd, made a surprising discovery: the ancient cliff dwellings in Colorado. The spectacular buildings and artifacts were tangible evidence of an advanced civilization that had lived in the area and disappeared. In the following years, more great discoveries were made as similar structures were found in Utah and Arizona.

The incredible discoveries baffled researchers and historians, buildings that had never before been seen or imagined in the region were found, buildings that support of up to five stories were discovered, something that was considered unusual for todays archaeologists. One of the structures at the archaeological site, which later would be called Pueblo Bonito, contains over 650 rooms.

At Chaco Canyon, researchers discovered a dozen of huge complexes that include more than 300 perfectly circular structures. But just what was their purpose? The walls are covered with paintings and mysterious inscriptions. The discovery of Chaco Canyon is an unprecedented finding in America, researchers firmly believe that nothing found can be compared to the might of Chaco Canyon. Archaeologists were amazed by the wealth of pottery, weapons, tools, jewelry; and every single piece of art found in the vicinity.

Interestingly, 20 million years ago, Chaco Canyon was the center of a large Sea. After the sea withdrew, the only thing that was left was a parched desert. Without water, the primary element for life, how could this ancient civilization have flourished in the region? And most importantly, why would they build their cities in such a “lifeless” place? This is just one of many disturbing mysteries that archaeologists have not been able to answer.

The canyon walls were the primary source of stone for their construction, but, where did the wood come from? According to archaeologists, this incredible engineering process would have needed over 250,000 trees. If you travel to Chaco Canyon today, you will notice an absolutely desolate landscape.

Samples taken from the wood indicate that the material originated form elsewhere in the region, some of the pieces of wood originated from distances of over 50 miles. For the cutting and carving process, the ancient builders only used stone axes. The ancient people of Chaco did not have carts or horses to transport the timber, so how did they transport their building materials?

Archaeologists have placed the Anasazi between 900 and 1250 AD. There is no doubt that the residents of these incredible ancient structures are long gone, but what happened to them? Why did they vanish like many other great civilization in the Americas? Was it a natural disaster that made them leave their home? And if so, where did they go to?