Ancient Amazonians created mysterious ‘dark earth’ on purpose
Soil study suggests today’s Indigenous Amazonians are making new terra preta
Mysterious patches of fertile black soil pepper the verdant Amazon rainforest. They sit in stark contrast with the reddish, eroded soil that dominates the basin. Researchers have long thought this Amazonian dark earth—or terra preta—was created by pre-Hispanic Indigenous civilizations, which have inhabited the region for millennia, but it wasn’t clear how. Now, a multidisciplinary team of scientists and Indigenous partners suggests the ancient Amazonians intentionally created the rich soil thousands of years ago to better foster their crops, and that their modern-day descendants are still making new terra preta today.
Read more: https://www.science.org/content/article/ancient-amazonians-created-mysterious-dark-earth-purpose
