The megalithic monument, known as the ‘Stonehenge of the Amazon’, has been the subject of study for its functionality in the past. Photo: LR composition / National Geographic / Amazon
In the confines of Latin America, a structure is erected that has baffled archaeologists and scientists alike. Known as the ‘Stonehenge of the Amazon’this archaeological site challenges traditional notions about the ancient civilizations that inhabited the Amazon basin.
In the 19th century, this enigmatic circle of megaliths was seen for the first time. However, recently researchers are unraveling the secrets of this monumental structure that appears to have been an astronomical observatory and a place of worship for the indigenous civilizations of the region.
Where is the mysterious ‘Stonehenge of the Amazon’ ruin?
He ‘Stonehenge of the Amazon’known locally as Rego Grande is located in the state of Amapá, in northern Brazil.. This archaeological site is located near the city of Calçoene and consists of a circle of 127 granite blocks, each carefully placed.
The structure, more than 30 meters wide, has captured the attention of archaeologists and scientists around the world. Photo: SCX2
The initial discovery of these megaliths dates back to 19th century, when the Swiss zoologist Emilio Goeldi reported its existence during an expedition along the border between Brazil and French Guiana. However, It wasn’t until the 1990s that serious attention began to be paid to the site, thanks to rancher Lailson Camelo da Silvawho came across the stones while deforesting the area to turn it into pasture.
Da Silva, who would later become the site’s custodian, initially avoided the area, perceiving it as a sacred place. It was during the deforestation boom in the 1990s, when the priority was burning trees, that the site again attracted the attention of scholars. In 2005a team of archaeologists led by Mariana Cabral and João Saldanha de The Federal University of Minas Gerais began a detailed investigation of the site.
How was the ‘Amazon Stonehenge’ ruin created?
The origin of the ‘Stonehenge of the Amazon’ dates back to about a thousand years agoseveral centuries before the arrival of European colonizers to America. Radiocarbon testing and observations made during the winter solstice have led researchers to conclude that this site was built by an advanced indigenous civilization.
Research has revealed that the granite blocks were extracted from a quarry located about 3.2 kilometers from the site. This process of transporting and placing the stones demonstrates a significant level of organization and technical knowledge. Besides, ceramic funerary urns have been foundto handmade, suggesting that at least part of the site may have served as a cemetery.
The mystery of the Amazonian ‘Stonehenge’ ruins: an astronomical observatory of an ancient civilization?
The arrangement of the stones also seems to have been designed taking into account the path of the sun during the winter solstice. This alignment indicates to experts that the site could have functioned as a astronomical Observatory, allowing its builders to follow the solar cycles. This ability to observe and measure the movement of the sun would have been essential to the agricultural and ceremonial practices of the time.
The theory that ‘Stonehenge of the Amazon’ was an astronomical observatory, is supported by research from the Amapá Scientific and Technological Research Institute, which found that one of the main stones is definitely aligned with the path of the sun.
This discovery has led archaeologists to reconsider the capabilities of the indigenous civilizations of the Amazon. Prior to these finds, the region was thought to be inhabited primarily by nomadic tribes with no large permanent settlements. However, the evidence of Rego Grande, along with other discoveries in Brazil, such as giant lines drawn in the ground and remains of fortified settlements, suggest that The Amazon housed a much larger and more advanced population than previously believed..
John McKim Malville, a solar physicist and archaeoastronomy expert, has noted that the study is evolving to include more holistic interpretations, considering the ceremonies and rituals of ancient cultures. According to Malville, the Rego Grande stones could reflect the importance of spiritualism in Amazonian cultureswhere a soul is attributed to natural entities and inanimate objects.
