In September 2021, a multidisciplinary team of specialists ventured into one of the most understudied regions of the Bolivian Amazon: the Great Tectonic Lakes of Exaltación in Beni. Organized by the Grupo de Trabajo para los Llanos de Moxos (GTLM), the expedition drew together experts from 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 destination—Lakes Rogaguado and Ginebra—was not only a biologically rich frontier but also a cultural archive, preserving evidence of human ingenuity across centuries.
The southwestern Amazon, often imagined as untouched wilderness, has increasingly revealed a profoundly shaped environment. Beneath the flood-prone savannas and shallow waters of the tectonic lakes lie traces of ancient earthworks, agricultural mounds, and interconnected canals. These features speak to generations of people who transformed a dynamic wetland into a thriving cultural landscape. Set within the Municipal Protected Area of Grandes Lagos Tectónicos de Exaltación and forming part of the Río Yata Ramsar wetland complex—recognized by UNESCO for its ecological and cultural significance—the region is embedded in the broader Llanos de Moxos, the largest wetland system in the Amazon basin. Ethnohistorical narratives have associated these expansive plains with the mythical “Land of Paititi,” a legendary place of abundance. Today, scientific investigation is illuminating the deep human histories that gave rise to such enduring stories.
Reconstructing Ancient Lifeways Through Modern Science
Through meticulous surveys, excavations, and LiDAR mapping, the 2021 expedition documented four major archaeological sites: Paquío, Coquinal, Isla del Tesoro, and Jasschaja. Together, these sites outline a timeline of human settlement stretching from approximately 600 to 1400 CE. Paquío, one of the earliest occupied areas, shows evidence of habitation beginning around 600 CE, with significant expansion between 1000 and 1200 CE. During this later phase, people established complex systems of canals and raised fields that supported maize-based agriculture, leaving behind shell middens and dense layers of ceramic debris.
Jasschaja, dating from 1300 to 1400 CE, reflects a later chapter in the region’s cultural development. Excavations there uncovered signs of intensified forest and crop management, including a growing diversity of plant species. This suggests an adaptive and increasingly resilient approach to managing the wetlands, especially in the face of shifting ecological and social conditions.
Radiocarbon dating from the sites reveals a pattern of repeated occupation over eight centuries, illustrating how communities returned to, modified, and rebuilt upon established landscapes. Rather than a single, continuous settlement, the Llanos de Moxos hosted a mosaic of evolving lifeways shaped by environmental changes and cultural innovations.
Engineering Water in a Wetland World
A defining feature of the Llanos de Moxos is the abundance of geometric earthworks that emerge from the savanna when viewed from above. Circular and rectangular ditches, long elevated planting platforms, drainage channels, and clusters of mounds form a vast network of water management infrastructure. These structures regulated the region’s pronounced seasonal flooding, channeled water into desired areas, and created stable grounds for habitation and cultivation.
The diversity of these forms—ranging from precise geometric enclosures to sprawling raised-field complexes—shows that there was no single blueprint for managing the wetlands. Instead, the landscape reflects centuries of experimentation as societies tailored their strategies to local terrain, hydrological patterns, and community needs. This engineering brilliance highlights not only agricultural innovation but also a deep cultural knowledge of how to live synchronously with a seasonal, flood-driven environment.
Excavations at Paquío and Jasschaja further illuminate the richness of pre-Hispanic subsistence. Remains of fish such as wolf fish, peacock bass, and the remarkable South American lungfish reveal the importance of aquatic resources, while reptiles like caimans and turtles and mammals such as capybaras, pacas, and armadillos demonstrate varied hunting practices. Botanical evidence—maize, legumes, and several palm species including moriche, corozo, cumare, totai, palmita, and peach palm—indicates a combined reliance on cultivated crops and gathered forest resources. This multifaceted diet captures a balanced livelihood centered on fishing, hunting, gathering, and farming.
Biocultural Heritage and Indigenous Leadership
The Cayubaba and Movima communities continue to live in and care for these landscapes today. Their enduring presence underscores the region’s rich biocultural heritage, a tapestry woven from the interdependence of biodiversity and cultural tradition. The 2021 fieldwork took place during the sensitive post-Covid-19 period, prompting limited but meaningful interactions. Collaboration was grounded in mutual respect, with the Cayubaba Indigenous Council—representing 21 Cayubaba and Movima communities—helping to identify study areas, provide guidance on culturally significant locations, and mark sites that should remain untouched.
This partnership ensured that archaeological research aligned with community priorities and honored longstanding relationships with the land. Through the GTLM, Indigenous leaders and scientists are continuing to merge archaeological insights with ecological research and conservation planning. These efforts support the sustainable management of the Yata River Ramsar site and reaffirm that the Llanos de Moxos is not only a biodiversity hotspot but also a cultural landscape shaped through millennia of human-environment interaction.
Ancient Knowledge for a Changing Amazon
The Amazon today faces mounting challenges: deforestation, agricultural expansion, waterway alteration, and climate change. In this context, the lessons embedded in the landscapes around Lakes Rogaguado and Ginebra acquire renewed importance. Archaeological evidence demonstrates that past communities thrived by embracing, rather than resisting, environmental variability. Raised fields, controlled flooding, and integrated resource management allowed ancient farmers to sustain productive systems for centuries.
Although these practices were disrupted—likely due to population decline and upheaval caused by European colonization—their historical effectiveness remains clear. Importantly, these ancient strategies challenge modern assumptions about land use and development. They reveal that sustainable productivity can emerge from diversity, flexibility, and an intimate understanding of ecological rhythms.
Today, protecting the Llanos de Moxos is both an environmental and cultural responsibility. Its wetlands sequester carbon, moderate hydrological systems, and harbor countless species. At the same time, they preserve the legacies of the people who have shaped and safeguarded these landscapes across generations. Archaeology, therefore, becomes more than a study of the past—it becomes a guide for envisioning sustainable futures rooted in respect for both nature and culture.
The monumental earthworks and living traditions of the Llanos de Moxos remind us that the Amazon is not merely a natural wilderness. It is a place where people and environments have continuously shaped one another. Listening to these landscapes—and to the communities who understand them best—may hold essential clues for a resilient future in a rapidly changing world.
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