Amazonian earthwork megasites expose precolonial landscape engineering and the colonial erasure of Indigenous stewardship
Original framing: “Over 20,000 precolonial earthworks in the Southwest Amazonia” — Nature
LiDAR and high‑resolution satellite imagery provide unprecedented detection of subtle topographic modifications, confirming the extent of the earthworks. However, scientific interpretation must be coupled with ground‑truthing, paleoenvironmental sampling, and collaborative ethnographic work to avoid reductionist conclusions.
The southwestern Amazon earthworks embody a millennium‑long system of Indigenous water governance that was systematically obscured by colonial narratives and contemporary extractive policies.
By foregrounding Indigenous epistemologies, historical continuity, and cross‑cultural parallels, we reveal that these structures are not relics but active infrastructure capable of delivering climate resilience, food sovereignty, and cultural revitalisation. Effective stewardship requires co‑designated heritage regimes, restoration‑driven adaptation, and a sovereign data framework that places Indigenous peoples at the centre of scientific and policy processes. Together, these pathways transform the earthworks from archaeological curiosities into living assets for a just, climate‑smart future.