Unnatural Histories

[Arob]

Did anyone else watch this amazing programme? BBC iPlayer - Unnatural Histories: Amazon

[Arob]

So, i didn't really sell it, and it seems no-one else either watched it or felt moved to comment on it, which is a shame as it was really amazing stuff and well worth an hour of your time.

 

*Spoiler Alert!*

 

Basically a Spanish conquistador sailed up the Amazon in search of the reputed cities of gold, sailing up the river he and his crew began to starve yet were surrounded by thriving communities of people, they were kept alive by these people who fed them. This conquistador returned to Spain with stories of an abundant civilization within the forests along the Amazon but he soon fell from favour in the Spanish court and his accounts became lost in history, deemed as exaggerated tales by later generations.

 

Explorers who followed in his wake found far fewer people and the colonising Europeans came to think of this land as barely inhabited save for the occasional small isolated tribe here and there. Mass deforestation in the latter part of the 20th Century exposed vast tracts of the forest floor and people flying over them began to notice strange geometric patterns on the ground, known as geoglyphs. These enormous geoglyphs had remarkable properties being both huge and hugely geometric, their existence pointed to very large human civilizations now long since vanished, and so it seems that early conquistador may well have been telling the truth, and perhaps he and his crew, or subsequent visitors brought disease which wiped out something like 90% of the population at the time and brought those developed civilizations to an abrupt end.

There was also a fair bit of comment on how these forest peoples were an important part of the ecosystem and helped to manage the forest in such as way that contributed to the development of it's famous complexity and biodiversity.

 

This was a part of it, there was a lot more besides; all very interesting stuff.

[arbmark]

So, i didn't really sell it, and it seems no-one else either watched it or felt moved to comment on it, which is a shame as it was really amazing stuff and well worth an hour of your time.

 

*Spoiler Alert!*

 

Basically a Spanish conquistador sailed up the Amazon in search of the reputed cities of gold, sailing up the river he and his crew began to starve yet were surrounded by thriving communities of people, they were kept alive by these people who fed them. This conquistador returned to Spain with stories of an abundant civilization within the forests along the Amazon but he soon fell from favour in the Spanish court and his accounts became lost in history, deemed as exaggerated tales by later generations.

 

Explorers who followed in his wake found far fewer people and the colonising Europeans came to think of this land as barely inhabited save for the occasional small isolated tribe here and there. Mass deforestation in the latter part of the 20th Century exposed vast tracts of the forest floor and people flying over them began to notice strange geometric patterns on the ground, known as geoglyphs. These enormous geoglyphs had remarkable properties being both huge and hugely geometric, their existence pointed to very large human civilizations now long since vanished, and so it seems that early conquistador may well have been telling the truth, and perhaps he and his crew, or subsequent visitors brought disease which wiped out something like 90% of the population at the time and brought those developed civilizations to an abrupt end.

There was also a fair bit of comment on how these forest peoples were an important part of the ecosystem and helped to manage the forest in such as way that contributed to the development of it's famous complexity and biodiversity.

 

This was a part of it, there was a lot more besides; all very interesting stuff.

 

they didnt have chainsaws! always makes me laugh how people think woodland needs managing, as opposed to being something purely driven by mans want/need to exploit which needs managing. I've bought a wood, its needs managing - b******s! Tribal peoples can be part of an ecosystem - blokes with chainsaws exporting from that system are uninvited guests....... well thats my current opinion!

sorry, no i didnt see it! sounds interesting - what's a geoglyph and where can i get one? i better watch it eh?

[nepia]

...their existence pointed to very large human civilizations now long since vanished.

 

 

If that part interests you read Fingerprints Of The Gods by Graham Hancock. He proposes the existence of an entire lost civilisation worldwide.

Edited November 7, 2012 by nepia
Slightly embarrassing typo

[face cord]

I watched it very interesting program

 

Also read the book liked it but not convinced by its theory.

 

Anyone remember the cartoon series mysterious cities of gold book remined me of that.

[nepia]

Also read the book liked it but not convinced by its theory.

 

Likewise: just too far fetched but fascinating nonetheless. The author has been widely rubbished!