Amazonian Legacies. Art and Archaeology

Where nature and culture meet. Thirteen thousand years of art and history
This new book on the archaeology of the world’s largest rainforest region introduces readers to the most recent research: sensational discoveries and revolutionary insights paint a picture of an excep tionally rich and diverse cultural landscape whose origins extend back to the twelfth millennium BP.
With its lush rainforest and mysterious rivers, Amazonia is widely regarded as the epitome of untouched nature. Yet deep within the green under growth lie traces of past civilisations. This publica tion opens up a new perspective on the cultural history of Amazonia, presenting spectacular archae ological finds and recounting the story of highly developed cultures that flourished long before the colonial era. It vividly demonstrates how body painting, jewellery and rock art open windows onto spiritual worlds, and how past and present are strikingly intertwined

María Fernanda Ugalde is an archaeologist and curator of Ancient American Art at the Museum Rietberg.
Carla Jaimes-Betancourt is an archaeologist and professor of Ancient American Studies at the University of Bonn.