The Ratanabá mystery: what the LiDAR shows, and what it doesn't prove yet
A Brazilian research group, Dakila Pesquisas, claims that it has found traces of an unknown, ancient Amazonian civilization in the state of Mato Grosso based on LiDAR imagery. By the organization's own account, scientific consensus and independent confirmation are still lacking.
On the southern edge of the Amazon Basin, beneath the dense forest cover of the state of Mato Grosso and neighboring regions, traces of a previously unknown, ancient civilization may be hidden, according to a Brazilian research group. The organization called Dakila Pesquisas, led by Urandir Fernandes de Oliveira, has for years been pursuing the hypothesis that an extensive network of urban settlements once stood in the area, one that may have predated the civilizations recognized by conventional historical research. This hypothesized civilization is called Ratanabá.
For their investigations, the researchers use LiDAR technology, which maps the terrain with millions of laser pulses and can penetrate dense vegetation. On other continents, for example in the former territories of the Maya and Khmer civilizations, the method has previously led to significant archaeological discoveries. According to Dakila's researchers, the analyses carried out in the Amazon region and in the state of Mato Grosso revealed geometric patterns, regular shapes and possible underground structures that could indicate human intervention.
What do we know, and what don't we?
What can be known based on Dakila Pesquisas' statement: the organization analyzed LiDAR imagery and identified patterns in it that it interprets as traces of the alleged ancient civilization. We also know that the researchers organize field expeditions to verify the results, and that the source itself states that remote sensing imagery alone is not sufficient evidence of the existence of artificial structures, and that there is currently no scientific consensus on the interpretation of the data.
What we don't know: no research institute or university independent of Dakila has confirmed the claims so far, and no verifiable scientific publication is cited in the report. It is also not known what specific finds the field expeditions have uncovered so far.
Dakila Pesquisas is headquartered in Corguinho, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, at a complex called Cidade Zigurats, whose vaulted buildings house research, astronomical observation and technological development alike. The organization also runs a separate project: BDM Digital, a blockchain-based payment system, is intended for commercial transactions. Regarding the continuation of the research, Urandir Fernandes de Oliveira said only that the results will be published through Dakila's official channels.
The sober take
The source itself acknowledges that LiDAR imagery alone does not prove the existence of artificial structures, and that there is currently no scientific consensus or independent confirmation of the researchers' claims.