Uncovering civilisation (Image: Edison Caetano) The geoglyphs are thought to date from around 2000 years ago up to the 13th century (Image: Edison Caetano)

Signs of what could be a previously unknown ancient civilisation are emerging from beneath the felled trees of the Amazon. Some 260 giant avenues, ditches and enclosures have been spotted from the air in a region straddling Brazil’s border with Bolivia.

The traditional view is that before the arrival of the Spanish and Portuguese in the 15th century there were no complex societies in the Amazon basin – in contrast to the Andes further west where …