In September 2021, a team of specialists traveled to one of the least-documented areas of the Bolivian Amazon: the Great Tectonic Lakes of Exaltación in the department of Beni. The expedition, organized by the Grupo de Trabajo para los Llanos de Moxos (GTLM), brought 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.
In the southwestern Amazon, the tectonic Lakes Rogaguado and Ginebra reveal a landscape shaped by generations of human innovation. Beneath the open grasslands and shallow waters lie the remains of extensive earthworks, raised agricultural fields, and interconnected canals that reflect a long history of people adapting to a dynamic environment.
These lakes sit within the Municipal Protected Area of Grandes Lagos Tectónicos de Exaltación and form part of the Río Yata Ramsar wetland complex, which is recognized by UNESCO for both its ecological and cultural value. Set in the Llanos de Moxos, a vast network of savannas, gallery forests, and floodplains that make up the largest wetland system in the Amazon basin, this area has inspired curiosity for centuries. Ethnohistorical accounts even linked it to the legendary 'Land of Paititi.' Only recently has its deep human past begun to come into clearer view.
Mapping a Long History of Settlement
Using a combination of surveys, excavations, and LiDAR imaging, the research team documented several archaeological sites: Paquío, Coquinal, Isla del Tesoro, and Jasschaja. Each site represents a different stage in the long sequence of habitation across this region.
Radiocarbon dates reveal repeated occupations from roughly 600 to 1400 CE. Findings at Paquío show an early settlement beginning around 600 CE, followed by a more intensive occupation between 1000 and 1200 CE. This later phase included shell middens, dense ceramic refuse, and a sophisticated system of canals and raised fields connected to maize-based farming. Jasschaja, which dates from 1300 to 1400 CE, reflects broader landscape alterations and greater botanical diversity, suggesting intensified forest and crop management during its occupation.
Innovations in Water Management and Agriculture
The terrain of the Llanos de Moxos is filled with geometric forms that reveal themselves on closer inspection. Circular and rectangular ditches, drainage channels, raised planting platforms, and clusters of mounds create a complex network designed for water control and cultivation. These structures were built to regulate seasonal flooding, guide water flow, and create stable areas for living and farming within a wetland that changes dramatically throughout the year.
Their many shapes, ranging from geometric enclosures to long elevated fields, indicate that there was no single standardized design. Instead, they represent centuries of experimentation as communities responded to shifting ecological and social conditions. Together, these features highlight the cultural diversity and long-term resilience of the people who developed them.
Excavations at Paquío and Jasschaja also revealed details about a varied pre-Hispanic diet that relied on wetland resources. Fish such as wolf fish, peacock bass, and South American lungfish were especially common, accompanied by reptiles including caimans and turtles, and mammals such as capybaras, pacas, and armadillos. Plant remains show the use of maize, legumes, and multiple palm species -- moriche palm, corozo palm, cumare palm, totai palm, palmita, and peach palm. Together, these remains point to a balanced subsistence strategy that combined fishing, hunting, gathering, and farming.
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