Graham Hancock

[ivanb]

Really enjoyed this

Belated thank you for this 'To The Point' video....

 

[Sindy-S.R]

In this video Graham Hancock talks about Terra Preta and Curare.

Here's a summary of the video:The indigenous Amazonians possessed sophisticated and sustainable knowledge in both agriculture (Terra Preta) and pharmacology and toxicology (Curare).This knowledge is evidence of an ancient science, based on the observation of nature and passed down orally.

The indigenous Amazonians possessed sophisticated and sustainable knowledge in both agriculture (Terra Preta) and pharmacology and toxicology (Curare).
This knowledge is evidence of an ancient science, based on the observation of nature and passed down orally.
Today, scientists and environmentalists are reevaluating these practices to inspire new ecological and medical models.

Terra Preta de Índio (Portuguese for "black indigenous soil") is an extremely fertile soil found in various parts of the Amazon.
It is dark in color due to its high content of vegetal carbon (biochar), organic remains, pottery fragments, and animal bones.
It was formed hundreds or thousands of years ago thanks to the agricultural practices of pre-Columbian indigenous peoples.
These communities improved the soil by adding organic waste, ash, and charcoal, creating soil that retained nutrients and remained fertile for centuries—an achievement that modern agriculture struggles to match.
Today, Terra Preta is being studied as a model for sustainable agriculture and to combat climate change, because the vegetal carbon it contains stores CO₂ in the soil long-term.

Kurari, or Curare, is a poisonous substance traditionally used by Amazonian indigenous people to coat arrowheads.
It is extracted from various tropical plants, including Chondrodendron tomentosum and Strychnos toxifera.
It acts as a powerful neuromuscular poison, causing muscle paralysis, including respiratory muscles.
However, in controlled doses, the active ingredient (tubocurarine) was later used medicinally as a muscle relaxant during surgical procedures.
Kurari is therefore an example of traditional indigenous knowledge that has had a huge impact on modern science.

Lost cities of the Amazon: how science is revealing ancient garden towns hidden in the rainforest

Archaeologists using 3D mapping are uncovering the remains of thousands of green metropolises with composted gardens, fisheries, and forests groomed into orchards

www.theguardian.com