▁had ▁remained ▁nearly ▁identical ▁and ▁the ▁tribes ▁followed ▁a ▁di et ▁that ▁prohib ited ▁several ▁sources ▁of ▁food — st rik ing ▁considering ▁the ▁long - h eld ▁belief ▁that ▁such ▁prohib itions ▁would ▁mean ▁death ▁in ▁the ▁har sh ▁rain for est . ▁Contempor ary ▁villages ▁are ▁laid ▁out ▁in ▁patterns ▁similar ▁to ▁those ▁seen ▁at ▁three ▁sites ▁of ▁the ▁ancient ▁cities . ▁ ▁K uh ik ug u ▁en comp ass es ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 0 ▁settlement s , ▁each ▁supporting ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁Const ruction ▁methods ▁showed ▁s oph istic ated ▁engineering . ▁The ▁structures ▁were ▁made ▁of ▁wood , ▁supporting ▁a ▁society ▁that ▁fl our ished ▁from ▁approximately ▁ 2 0 0 ▁A . D . ▁until ▁around ▁ 1 6 0 0 , ▁according ▁to ▁carbon - dating ▁data ▁obtained ▁from ▁the ▁mo ats ▁and ▁pot tery . ▁Their ▁constru ctions ▁included ▁brid ges ▁across ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁great ▁rivers ▁of ▁the ▁Amazon . ▁Their ▁monuments ▁extended ▁hor izont ally , ▁rather ▁than ▁being ▁built ▁as ▁the ▁py ram idal ▁structures ▁developed ▁by ▁the ▁May an ▁or ▁Az te c ▁pe op les . ▁ ▁The ▁settlement s ▁and ▁civil ization ▁of ▁these ▁people ▁appeared ▁to ▁have ▁last ed ▁long ▁enough ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁have ▁had ▁contact ▁with ▁Europe ans . ▁Many ▁died ▁due ▁to ▁new ▁inf ect ious ▁dise ases , ▁which ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁carried ▁by ▁some ▁of ▁their ▁usual ▁ind igen ous ▁trad ing ▁partners ,