https://phys.org/news/2025-10-satellite-images-reveal-ancient-south.html Phys.org Topics * Week's top * Latest news * Unread news * Subscribe [ ] Science X Account [ ] [ ] Sign In Sign in with Forget Password? Not a member? Sign up Learn more * Nanotechnology * Physics * Earth * Astronomy & Space * Chemistry * Biology * Other Sciences * Medical Xpress Medicine * Tech Xplore Technology [INS::INS] * * share this! * 46 * Tweet * Share * Email 1. Home 2. Other Sciences 3. Archaeology * * * --------------------------------------------------------------------- October 12, 2025 The GIST Satellite images reveal ancient hunting traps used by South American social groups by Antiquity edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Robert Egan [llock] Lisa Lock scientific editor Meet our editorial team Behind our editorial process [Robert] Robert Egan associate editor Meet our editorial team Behind our editorial process Editors' notes This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread Satellite images reveal ancient hunting traps used by South American social groups 3D render of a chacu. Credit: A. Oyaneder Satellite images have revealed an ancient system of elaborate, funnel-shaped mega traps likely built by hunters and pastoralists to catch prey in the high altitudes of northern Chile. New research on the Andean landscape and the people who lived there has identified 76 stone "chacus," often stretching hundreds of meters in length, that would have been used to capture vicuna, a wild relative of the alpaca. Similar structures have been found in other arid regions of the world, including the Middle East, but this is the first time such a concentration has been discovered in the area, and it raises the possibility that they pre-date those known to have been used by the Inkas. The study has also found evidence of settlements and outposts in the area known as the Western Valleys, establishing a high probability that it was home to foragers many centuries after it was believed people had adopted more settled agricultural social systems. "There has long been a discrepancy between what archaeological and ethnohistorical records have told us about life in the Western Valleys of northern Chile during the colonial period," states Dr. Adrian Oyaneder from the University of Exeter. "On the one hand, archaeological research has pointed to a gradual decline in hunting and gathering from 2,000 B.C. onwards with the introduction of domesticated plants and animals. But, historical sources, such as Spanish tax records from the 16th to the 19th centuries, refer to 'Uru' or 'Uro,' which was a generic term for foraging populations who were of little economic interest to the colonizers." Satellite images reveal ancient hunting traps used by South American social groups Illustration of a chacu hunting trap, indicating how they funneled wildlife into pits. Credit: A. Oyaneder Using publicly available satellite data, Dr. Oyaneder examined a 4,600 square-kilometer area of the Camarones River Basin, focusing on upland areas that had hitherto remained little studied. Over four months, he identified a huge number of new sites of archaeological interest. His results are published in the journal Antiquity. [INS::INS] Among the sites were 76 chacus, with the great majority being V-shaped traps formed by two "antennae" built from dry-stone walls, around 1.5 meters in height and on average 150 meters in length. These funneled down to an enclosure of around 95 square meters, which would have been dug or established to a depth of around two meters, sufficient to trap any animals driven into it by the hunters. All the chacus were located on steep slopes, pointing downhill, with some employing natural topographical features to create one of the antennae. They were also at an altitude within the usual range of the vicuna. "My reaction when I saw the first chacu was to double and even triple check it," says Dr. Oyaneder. "Initially, I thought it was a bit of a unique occurrence, but as I progressed with my survey, I realized that they were everywhere in the highlands and in a quantity never previously recorded in the Andes. "And then when I began to read papers and books around the subject, particularly by Therese Bouysse-Cassagne and Olivia Harris, there was reference to the choquela, specialized vicuna hunting groups, and words referring specifically to chacu hunting people and chacu hunters." Satellite images reveal ancient hunting traps used by South American social groups Aerial photograph of two chacu hunting traps. Credit: A. Oyaneder Dr. Oyaneder identified almost 800 small-scale settlements, ranging from single buildings of no more than 1 square meter to groups of nine or more structures. These were plotted using GIS and grouped into likely clusters linked to nearby chacus and other settlements, all within a 5 km distance. Images were captured by automated flight at an average height of 60 meters above the surface and they were processed with 3D rendering. "The picture that emerges is of a landscape occupied by a range of human groups from at least 6000 B.C. to the 18th century," Dr. Oyaneder concludes. "These groups moved strategically across the highlands, tethered primarily to hunting resources, particularly vicuna. "The evidence indicates overlapping lifeways, combining hunting-gathering with agropastoral practices, and a network of short-term seasonal settlements and outposts to help people move across rugged and difficult terrain." More information: A tethered hunting and mobility landscape in the Andean highlands of the Western Valleys, northern Chile, Antiquity (2025). doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2025.10213 Journal information: Antiquity Provided by Antiquity Citation: Satellite images reveal ancient hunting traps used by South American social groups (2025, October 12) retrieved 18 October 2025 from https://phys.org/news/ 2025-10-satellite-images-reveal-ancient-south.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Explore further Stone Age 'megastructure' under Baltic Sea sheds light on strategy used by Paleolithic hunters over 10,000 years ago --------------------------------------------------------------------- 46 shares * Facebook * Twitter * Email Feedback to editors * Featured * Last Comments * Popular Saturday Citations: Yet another solution for universal expansion; computing with brain organoids 10 hours ago 0 Follow-up observations by Webb confirm GRB 250702B is most energetic cosmic explosion ever recorded Oct 17, 2025 1 mRNA nanoparticles drive potent SARS-CoV-2 immunity in mice Oct 17, 2025 0 Algorithm precisely quantifies flow of information in complex networks Oct 17, 2025 0 New study suggests the ancient Egyptian plague of Akhetaten may not have happened Oct 17, 2025 2 --------------------------------------------------------------------- [INS::INS] [gif] How we sharpened the James Webb telescope's vision from a million kilometers away 6 hours ago [gif] Saturday Citations: Yet another solution for universal expansion; computing with brain organoids 10 hours ago [gif] Vortices in ultralight dark matter halos could reveal new clues to cosmic structure 11 hours ago [gif] Time-delay snapshots enable scientists to identify dynamics in chaotic systems Oct 17, 2025 [gif] Sensor identifies sodium nitrite in drinks using laser-modified cork Oct 17, 2025 [gif] Epigenetic changes help cells adapt to low oxygen levels, study reveals Oct 17, 2025 [gif] Southern Ocean's low-salinity Antarctic waters continue absorbing CO2 despite climate model predictions Oct 17, 2025 [gif] Follow-up observations by Webb confirm GRB 250702B is most energetic cosmic explosion ever recorded Oct 17, 2025 [gif] Bird-mediated plant colonization overturns long-held assumptions about how plants spread to islands Oct 17, 2025 [gif] How to watch the Orionid meteor shower, debris of Halley's comet Oct 17, 2025 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Relevant PhysicsForums posts The Secrets of Prof. Verschure's Rosetta Stones Oct 16, 2025 M7.6 Drake Passage; M7.4, M6.7 Philippines, M6.3 Papua New Guinea Earthquakes Oct 15, 2025 The usage of dipole-dipole array in Lumpur Sidoarjo (Lusi) Oct 15, 2025 Mount Everest (Qomolangma, Sagarmatha) Weather and Exploration Oct 11, 2025 Not a sundial - a shadow dial is what I want Oct 7, 2025 (Unprecedented?) Cluster of earthquakes in Greek islands Sep 29, 2025 More from Earth Sciences --------------------------------------------------------------------- [INS::INS] * Related Stories [gif] Stone Age 'megastructure' under Baltic Sea sheds light on strategy used by Paleolithic hunters over 10,000 years ago Feb 18, 2024 [gif] 'Getting high' in Paleolithic hunting: Elevated positions enhance javelin accuracy but reduce atlatl efficiency Oct 16, 2024 [gif] Researchers uncover Stone Age settlement submerged by rising sea levels in Denmark Aug 26, 2025 [gif] Spatial patterns of Tianshui's folk fortresses show how local landscapes shaped community defense Sep 9, 2025 [gif] Underground 'anomaly' found near iconic Giza pyramid complex May 15, 2024 [gif] The rise and fall--and rise again--of white-tailed deer May 29, 2025 * Recommended for you [gif] New study suggests the ancient Egyptian plague of Akhetaten may not have happened Oct 17, 2025 [gif] Archaeologists uncover 5,000-year-old ceremonial site in Jordan Oct 17, 2025 [gif] Maya salt-making compound found preserved underwater in Belize Oct 16, 2025 [gif] Hidden for centuries: Archaeologists unearth ancient Roman water basin Oct 16, 2025 [gif] Why Classic Maya cities rose and fell Oct 16, 2025 [gif] VR experiments train AI to identify ancient finger-fluting artists Oct 16, 2025 Load comments (0) Get Instant Summarized Text (Gist) Satellite imagery has identified 76 large, funnel-shaped stone hunting traps, or chacus, in northern Chile, used to capture vicuna. These structures, along with nearly 800 small settlements, indicate that mobile foraging and hunting persisted in the region for millennia, overlapping with agricultural practices and challenging previous assumptions about the area's social history. This summary was automatically generated using LLM. Full disclaimer Let us know if there is a problem with our content Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form. For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines). Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request [-- please select one -- ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Your message to the editors [ ] Your email (optional, only if you'd like a response) [ ] Send Feedback Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors. Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages. E-mail the story Satellite images reveal ancient hunting traps used by South American social groups Your friend's email [ ] Your email [ ] [ ] I would like to subscribe to Science X Newsletter. Learn more Your name [ ] Note Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form. [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Your message [ ] Send Newsletter sign up Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties. [ ] Subscribe More information Privacy policy Donate and enjoy an ad-free experience We keep our content available to everyone. Consider supporting Science X's mission by getting a premium account. Remove ads Maybe later Medical Xpress Medical Xpress Medical research advances and health news Tech Xplore Tech Xplore The latest engineering, electronics and technology advances Science X Science X The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web Newsletters [ ] Subscribe Science X Daily and the Weekly Email Newsletter are free features that allow you to receive your favorite sci-tech news updates in your email inbox Follow us * * * * * * * * Top * Home * Search * Mobile version * Help * FAQ * About * Contact * Support us * Science X Account * Archive * News wire * Android app * iOS app * RSS feeds * Push notification (c) Phys.org 2003 - 2025 powered by Science X Network Privacy policy Terms of use E-mail newsletter [ ] Subscribe Follow us * * * * It appears that you are currently using Ad Blocking software. What are the consequences? x Quantcast