RIO BRANCO, BRAZIL — The State Council for the Environment and Forestry (Cemaf) has approved new rules to protect archaeological sites in Acre, including geoglyphs. The resolution requires approval from Brazil's National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) for environmental licensing of developments in these areas and restricts activities such as opening access roads, deforestation and construction.

Published Thursday (20) in the state's Official Gazette, the regulation defines responsibilities for landowners, developers and public agencies involved in projects that could affect archaeological heritage.

The main change requires developers, as part of the environmental licensing process, to submit an Iphan assessment on the presence of archaeological or culturally significant sites in areas that could be affected by a development.

Geoglyphs are geometric structures carved into the ground, found in a variety of shapes and believed to date back as far as 3,000 years. Acre is a pioneer and a reference in geoglyph research. In March 2024, the first geoglyph in the state to receive heritage protection had its recognition formally approved by Brazil's Ministry of Culture.

More than 1,000 geoglyphs have been recorded in Acre, which has the largest number of these structures of any Brazilian state.

Amazon Agency