The Archaeology of Amazonia

A timely summary of the multidisciplinary research that has transformed our understanding of human history in the Amazon and its legacy for the 21st century. -- Patrick Roberts, Independent Research Group Leader in Archaeological Science, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Germany "" A revealing book that gives voice to the people of the Amazon who disappeared in the fog of deep time. -- Alceu Ranzi, Senior Researcher in Archaeology, Federal University of Acre, Brazil This book provides the most comprehensive and authoritative synthesis yet written, of the remarkable story, stretching back to the last Ice Age, of how humans have transformed Amazonia from a virgin wilderness into a domesticated landscape; a must-read for anybody interested in humanity’s long-term relationship with Amazonia. -- Francis Mayle, Professor in Tropical Palaeoecology, University of Reading, UK A richly embellished overview that brings to life the Amazonian past, still the least known chapter of human history. It sheds new light on the achievements and challenges I[i]ndigenous peoples have faced in this river and forest world, still shrouded in mystery [for most]. It reflects on the unnatural history of the region, referring to the consensus that the world’s greatest tropical forest is an artifact of the ingenuity and agency of its I[i]ndigenous peoples, as well as clues for how the past may inform us about saving the forest and its people. -- Michael Heckenberger, Professor of Anthropology, University of Florida-Gainesville, USA