In September 2021, an ambitious multidisciplinary expedition ventured into one of the most enigmatic and least studied regions of the Bolivian Amazon – the Great Tectonic Lakes of Exaltación, situated in the Beni department. This evocative landscape, located within the Municipal Protected Area of Grandes Lagos Tectónicos de Exaltación and part of the Río Yata Ramsar wetland complex, unveiled an extraordinary interface of human ingenuity and wilderness. Led by the Grupo de Trabajo para los Llanos de Moxos (GTLM), this collaborative mission included experts from premier institutions including the Wildlife Conservation Society, the National Museum of Natural History, the Institute of Ecology, the Biodiversity and Environment Research Center, the Aquatic Resources Research Center, and the Department of Anthropology of the Americas at the University of Bonn. Their joint efforts have begun to reposition this region in the global archaeological and ecological narrative, uncovering the profound dialogue between ancient societies and the dynamic Amazonian wetlands.
The tectonic Lakes Rogaguado and Ginebra lie embedded in an intricate ecological mosaic of savannas, gallery forests, and floodplains characteristic of the Llanos de Moxos. These lakes are not mere bodies of water; rather, they serve as living archives, preserving a palpable record of human adaptation and environmental engineering sustained over centuries. Beneath their shallow waters and grasslands, researchers have identified monumental earthworks comprising raised fields, canals, and geometric enclosures that testify to millennia of human modification and resilience. This landscape has been long celebrated in ethnohistorical chronicles as part of the legendary “Land of Paititi,” yet scientific understanding of its tangible human legacy has only recently begun to emerge in full clarity.
Employing cutting-edge survey techniques, including high-resolution LiDAR mapping, alongside traditional archaeological excavations, the team documented multiple significant sites such as Paquío, Coquinal, Isla del Tesoro, and Jasschaja. Each site narrates a distinct episode in the complex human story woven through the region. Radiocarbon dating has revealed continuous occupation phases stretching from approximately 600 to 1400 CE. Paquío, for example, demonstrates a nuanced sequence beginning around 600 CE and intensifying from 1000 to 1200 CE. Here, researchers uncovered dense shell middens and ceramics, intimately linked to a sophisticated system of canals and raised fields engineered for maize-centric agriculture. Conversely, Jasschaja, occupied closer to the 1300-1400 CE interval, exhibits broader landscape modifications and increased botanical diversity, indicating advanced forest management and crop diversification strategies.
The monumental earthworks are characterized by complex, geometric relief forms – circular and quadrangular ditches, fluid drainage canal networks, and raised cultivation platforms intricately designed to optimize water management in an environment periodically inundated during wet seasons. Far from a monolithic design, these water-control systems reflect centuries of experimentation and localized adaptation by diverse cultural groups to the challenges posed by fluctuating hydrological regimes. This dynamic landscape serves as a testament to the deep ecological knowledge and engineering prowess that allowed pre-Hispanic societies to thrive amid environmental uncertainties, effectively reshaping and sustaining their habitat through finely tuned hydrological manipulation.
Archaeological excavations yielded compelling evidence of a diverse and sustainable pre-Hispanic diet that integrated wetland resources with cultivated plants. Faunal remnants include species such as wolf fish, peacock bass, and the South American lungfish, complemented by reptiles including caimans and turtles and a range of mammals like capybaras, pacas, and armadillos. This faunal diversity highlights a sophisticated subsistence strategy embracing fishing, hunting, and gathering. Botanical finds identified various cultivated and wild plants—maize and legumes central among them, alongside several palm species such as moriche, corozo, cumare, totai, palmita, and peach palm. Together, these remain fragments reconstruct a polyculture economy exceptionally adapted to the fluctuating Amazonian wetlands.
This biocultural landscape continues to be inhabited and stewarded by present-day Cayubaba and Movima communities, whose deep-rooted knowledge and traditions remain embedded within the ecological tapestry. Their intimate connection to this region adds profound dimensions of cultural continuity and living heritage that enrich archaeological interpretations. Collaborative fieldwork practices during the post-Covid-19 period prioritized respectful dialogue and engagement, with delegates from the Cayubaba Indigenous Council – representing 21 communities – actively participating in guiding research agendas, designating culturally sensitive sites, and ensuring community priorities were integrated. Such partnerships exemplify ethically grounded research that honors Indigenous stewardship and knowledge systems.
The GTLM initiative brokers a vital interface between archaeological inquiry, ecological research, and conservation advocacy. The recognition of the Llanos de Moxos as both a biodiversity hotspot and a landscape extensively shaped by human ingenuity challenges binary paradigms that often separate “nature” and “culture.” This integrative framework has proven essential for informing conservation strategies within the Yata River Ramsar site and other overlapping protected areas, underscoring the need to protect ecological functions alongside Indigenous and historical cultural values embedded in these wetlands.
The insights emerging from this research carry vital implications for contemporary discussions of sustainability and environmental resilience in the Amazon and beyond. At a time of accelerating deforestation, industrial agricultural expansion, and climate destabilization, the ancient engineering and livelihood systems documented in the Rogaguado and Ginebra basins illustrate adaptive approaches that synergize human needs with ecosystem rhythms. These societies did not seek to conquer nature; instead, they harnessed seasonal flooding to develop diversified, flexible production systems that combined farming, fishing, and forest management. These practices maintained wetland productivity over centuries, only ceasing following disruptions linked to European colonization, thus highlighting resilience built on ecological diversity and social knowledge.
The legacy of these pre-Hispanic wetland adaptations compels us to rethink prevalent assumptions about development and ecological stewardship. By decoding how these societies once balanced exploitation and conservation through nuanced landscape engineering and diversified economies, we gain empirical models for sustainable coexistence. Their example invites modern actors to embrace complexity, respecting species, ecosystems, and cultural traditions as interdependent components of dynamic landscapes that foster resilience in the face of contemporary environmental crises.
Protecting this biocultural heritage is an urgent, shared responsibility. The Llanos de Moxos wetlands maintain critical ecological functions, such as carbon sequestration, hydrological regulation, and habitat provision for rich biodiversity. Safeguarding these critical services necessitates honoring the intertwined cultural histories and ecological knowledge systems that have shaped and continue to sustain these environments. Archaeology, therefore, transcends academic boundaries, becoming an active conduit linking ancestral wisdom embedded in monumental earthworks and living landscapes to the pressing challenges around sustainability, environmental justice, and Indigenous rights.
Ultimately, the Llanos de Moxos region stands as a profound reminder that the Amazon has long been a vibrant biocultural landscape—a dynamic, inhabited, and remembered space. Its monumental earthworks, composite forest islands, and enduring human traditions reveal the power and potential of listening deeply to ancient landscapes that still hold vital lessons for our collective future. As modern science and Indigenous knowledge increasingly converge in this region, new pathways open for transformative understanding and stewardship in an era defined by uncertainty.
Article Title: Historic landscapes, diversified livelihoods in the southwestern Amazon: The case of Lake Rogaguado and Lake Ginebra (Bolivia)
News Publication Date: 6-Nov-2025
Web References:
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fearc.2025.1662950
Image Credits: C. Jaimes
Keywords: Amazon archaeology, Llanos de Moxos, wetland engineering, pre-Hispanic agriculture, biocultural heritage, indigenous collaboration, sustainable livelihoods, raised fields, water management, biodiversity conservation, ancient landscapes, climate resilience
