Kuhikugu — Western Plaza Cluster K9 at Seki Lake (Xingu West)
Kuhikugu K9 West · Seki Western Plaza · Xingu K9 Annex
Late Pre-Columbian (900 – 1650 CE)·Xinguano Arawak / Kuhikugu·🇧🇷 Mato Grosso, Xingu Indigenous Park, Kuhikugu (X11) western plaza K9 Seki, Brazil
About
About Kuhikugu — Western Plaza Cluster K9 at Seki Lake (Xingu West)
Western plaza cluster K9 annex of Kuhikugu, the Upper Xingu (51m) urban complex, where a 250×150 m plaza with causeway 500 m and reservoir 100 m diameter now lies under gallery forest west of Seki Lake, 8 km west of main X11 (20 m road) already in database. Distinct from eastern cluster K8-Seki already in database, this K9 preserves plaza curb 0.8 m laterite, double-ditch causeway 12 m wide and managed forest island 30 m enrichment mapped 2021 Heckenberger-REMOTE lidar. Occupied Xinguano Arawak 900–1650 CE, K9 housed 3000 with manioc mounds and Ipe tree orchards. Causeway links Seki to Kuhikugu road system. Managed forest shows Brazil nut enrichment.
Why it mattersK9 proves Kuhikugu westward extension beyond X11; causeway-reservoir dates calibrate Xingu 30 town urban system and Xinguano forest enrichment model for Amazon urbanism.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether K9 causeway predates Xingu road system or is feeder
- 02Attribution of Brazil nut stand to Inca-style orchard vs wild?
Theories
- 01K9 reservoir managed Seki lake flood for Kuhikugu manioc
- 02Western plaza handled initiation feasts while X11 handled council
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 900 CE Xinguano plaza and causeway; K9 formalized 1300 CE
- Period
- Late Pre-Columbian (900 – 1650 CE)
- Culture
- Xinguano Arawak / Kuhikugu
- Purpose
- Xingu urban node — western plaza and causeway-reservoir water management linking Seki lake to Kuhikugu roads
- Abandoned
- c. 1650 CE (Epidemic after Bandeirante contact)
- Rediscovered
- 2003 Heckenberger Xingu lidar; 2021 K9 Seki lidar snippet
- Excavation
- Buried
c. 900 CE
Xinguano Arawaks lay out K9 plaza and causeway north of Seki
1300 CE
Western plaza double-ditch and reservoir monumentalised, Brazil nut orchard planted
2021
REMOTE lidar maps K9 500 m causeway and 100 m reservoir under canopy
On the ground
Structures & features
12.2550° S · 53.1850° W · 335 m · 3 mapped features
Western Plaza (250×150 m)
plaza250×150 m laterite curb plaza 0.8 m high western Seki
12.2555° S · 53.1855° WDouble-Ditch Causeway (500×12 m)
causeway500×12 m double-ditch causeway linking K9 to Seki road
12.2545° S · 53.1860° WReservoir (100 m dia., 3 m deep)
reservoir100 m circular reservoir 3 m deep clay-lined with forest island
12.2550° S · 53.1840° W