geoglyphs
JEE-uh-glifs
Definition
Large-scale geometric designs or structures, typically earthen enclosures or ditches, created on the landscape by ancient human activity.
Etymology
The word is derived from the Greek roots 'geo-' (earth) and 'glyph' (carving or engraving). It was coined to describe prehistoric designs made on the ground, ranging from massive earthen structures to lines etched into desert surfaces.
In the news
In this article, geoglyphs refer to the ditched earthworks built by ancient societies in the Amazon, which were previously difficult to detect until laser scanning revealed their true, widespread prevalence.
Canopy-penetrating laser scans along 4,430 kilometres of flight lines over Acre and Amazonas found 432 earthworks where only 36 had been recorded, and the survey's authors now propose that 24,000 to 30,000 lie across southwest Amazonia
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com