Percy Harrison Fawcett (or “PHF” as he was affectionately know by his family) was a British explorer who disappeared in 1925 while searching for an ancient lost city in the Amazon rainforest. His story has captured the imagination of adventurers and historians alike, and his disappearance remains one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century.
Fawcett was born in Torquay, England, in 1867. He was educated at Newton Abbot College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. After graduating from Woolwich, Fawcett served in the Royal Artillery for 20 years. He saw action in the Second Boer War and World War I, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery.
Fawcett’s interest in exploration began in his early twenties, when he read about the Amazon rainforest. Stories had persisted for hundreds of years of the “lost city of El Dorado” – an ancient city covered in gold and so rich that the leader of the city covered his entire body in gold dust daily.
He was fascinated by the idea of finding a lost city in the heart of the jungle, and he began to make plans for his own expedition.
In 1906, Fawcett led his first expedition to the Amazon. He traveled deep into the rainforest, but he was unable to find any evidence of a lost city. However, he did return with valuable information about the region, and he inspired other explorers to follow in his footsteps.
Fawcett made six more expeditions to the Amazon, each time searching for the lost city. He never found it, but he did make significant contributions to the understanding of the region. He mapped large areas of the rainforest, and he collected valuable data on the plants, animals, and cultures of the region.
One expedition mentioned in ‘Exploration Fawcett’, written by his son Brian and taken from notes that Fawcett made himself in his journals, talked of giant spiders and snakes:
“There are some horrifying stories about these posadas – especially the ones farther down the Mapiri trail, where the outermost fringes of the forest reach up into the mountains. In one of them was a room where, one after another, travellers were found dead, their bodies black from the action of some horrible poison. Suspicious of foul play, the authorities investigated, and after some time discovered in the thatched roof of the room a huge apazauca spider-a sort of black tarantula so large that a plate would scarcely cover it. This monster lowered itself down at night on the sleeper beneath, and its bite meant death.”
“As far as it was possible to measure, a length of forty-five feet lay out of the water, and seventeen feet in it, making a total length of sixty-two feet.” – On the snake Fawcett shot at but did not kill.
“The Brazilian Boundary Commission told me of one they had killed in the Rio Paraguay, exceeding eighty feet in length!” – On a story they had been told about a humongous snake, bordering on the size of Titanoboa or larger.
Exploration Fawcett – Brian Fawcett & Lt.Col. P.H. Fawcett – 1954
Fawcett also told of more believable horrors – ones that the rubber industry brought forth. He spoke of slave farms where women were captured for the sole purposes of breeding and birthing children who would then be sold into slavery. He also told how the men on his boat would laugh hysterically when one of them became ill and close to death and would cheer when he died.
Fawcett’s final expedition began in 1925. He was accompanied by his son Jack and Jack’s best friend, Raleigh Rimell. The three men set off into the rainforest, but they were never seen again.
After being gone for two years, The Royal Geographic Society (of whom Fawcett was a member) suggested that a search party be sent out, however Fawcett’s wife Nina disagreed (indeed, Fawcett himself had insisted that if the expedition did not return, no search party was to be sent), insisting it was far too soon, and thus the search was delayed until several groups of volunteers conducted searches of their own – to no avail, with a large number (it is said potentially over 100) going missing or dying themselves.
There are many theories about what happened to Fawcett and his companions. Some believe that they were killed by hostile tribesmen. Others believe that they died of disease or starvation. Still others believe that they found the lost city, but were unable to return to civilization. A more outlandish theory exists where it is believed that PHF found a portal to another dimension and walked through it, never to return. Many have said that Fawcett’s hubris and arrogance, along with his nature of looking down upon the native tribes, resulted in his downfall, however when explorer Niall McCann visited one of the tribes that Fawcett had stayed with on his final expedition, their chief (whose uncle had been chief at the time) informed him that Fawcett was very warm, welcoming and smiley and told them he required nothing except a place to rest. It seems unlikely then that the stories of PHF falling out with one of the tribes after “slapping the chief’s son in the face” or another tale of “inappropriately touching the chief’s daughter” are nothing more than just that – stories.
Fawcett’s wife Nina never lost hope of him returning, even visiting psychics who assured her that her husband and son were still alive and well. Nina and their youngest son Brian were left almost penniless after Fawcett poured all their funds into his expeditions.
The mystery of Fawcett’s disappearance has never been solved. However, his story continues to inspire adventurers and historians alike. He is a reminder of the power of the human spirit, and the enduring allure of the unknown.
Fawcett’s story has been told in many books and films. The most famous account is the 2009 novel The Lost City of Z by David Grann (an extremely good book and well worth a read). The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 2017.
Fawcett has also been the subject of several documentaries, including The Search for Z (2005) and Lost in the Amazon (2014).
His story continues to fascinate people around the world, and it is likely that he will continue to be the subject of books, films, and documentaries for many years to come.
Was He Right?
Until very recently, many people at the time of Fawcett’s expeditions thought that due to the dense nature of the Amazonian rainforests, that sparse, small tribes were all that could survive there. With the recent advancement in technology known as LIDAR (light detection and ranging), it has been discovered that vast cities actually did exist deep in the forests.
The Great Civilizations of the Ancient Amazon
The Amazon rainforest is often thought of as a vast, uninhabited wilderness. However, this is not the case. The Amazon has been home to a number of large civilizations for centuries.
One of the most well-known ancient Amazonian civilizations is the Moche. The Moche lived in what is now Peru, and their culture flourished from 100 to 800 CE. The Moche were skilled engineers and architects, and they built large pyramids, temples, and irrigation systems. They were also known for their colourful pottery and textiles.
Another major ancient Amazonian civilization was the Nazca. The Nazca lived in what is now Peru, and their culture flourished from 100 BCE to 800 CE. The Nazca are known for their giant geoglyphs, which are large drawings in the ground that can only be seen from the air. They are also known for their pottery, which is often decorated with geometric designs.
The Chachapoya were another important ancient Amazonian civilization. The Chachapoya lived in what is now Peru, and their culture flourished from 800 to 1470 CE. The Chachapoya were known for their defensive fortifications, which included high towers and cliffside cities. They were also known for their textiles, which are often decorated with intricate designs.
These are just a few of the large civilizations that once existed in the Amazon rainforest. These civilizations were all complex and sophisticated, and they left behind a rich legacy of art, architecture, and technology.
The decline of the ancient Amazonian civilizations
The reasons for the decline of the ancient Amazonian civilizations are still debated by scholars. However, it is likely that a combination of factors contributed to their downfall. These factors may have included climate change, warfare, and disease.
The Amazon rainforest is a very sensitive ecosystem, and it is susceptible to changes in climate. A prolonged drought or a shift in rainfall patterns could have caused widespread crop failures, which could have led to famine and social unrest.
Warfare was also a common occurrence in the Amazon rainforest. The different civilizations were often competing for resources, and they would sometimes wage war on each other. This could have led to the destruction of cities and the loss of life.
Finally, disease could have also played a role in the decline of the ancient Amazonian civilizations. The Amazon rainforest is home to a number of deadly diseases, and these diseases could have spread to the different civilizations, causing widespread death.
The legacy of the ancient Amazonian civilizations
The ancient Amazonian civilizations left behind a rich legacy of art, architecture, and technology. Their ruins can still be seen today, and they provide a glimpse into the past of this amazing region.
The ancient Amazonian civilizations also made important contributions to agriculture. They developed new techniques for cultivating crops in the rainforest, and they introduced new crops to the region. These contributions helped to shape the way that people live in the Amazon rainforest today.
The ancient Amazonian civilizations were complex and sophisticated societies. They were able to thrive in a challenging environment, and they left behind a lasting legacy. Their story is a reminder of the power of the human spirit, and the ability of people to adapt to even the most difficult circumstances.
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