Colombia opens Amazon lab to study ancient history with locals
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Researchers from the National University of Colombia (UNAL) Amazonia Campus opened an Archaeology Laboratory in Leticia, Colombia, to study the region’s ancient past and collaborate with local communities.
The new laboratory will allow scientists and students to analyze archaeological evidence found in the border area of Colombia, Peru, and Brazil without removing it from the region. Evidence suggests human presence in this Amazonian area dates back 13,000 years.
The laboratory will focus on understanding how early people settled in the area, moved through the jungle, traded with each other, and changed the landscape over millennia. UNAL intends for the lab to serve a wide area encompassing territory in all three countries, despite modern national borders. The project prioritizes a “social archaeology” approach, recognizing the importance of incorporating the knowledge and memories of indigenous communities who have historical and cultural connections to the archaeological sites.
Researchers are already working with the community of Mocagua and the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH) to develop projects and build collaboration networks. The laboratory will also train future archaeologists, connecting academic study with direct research within the Amazonian context.
