The region of the Middle Purus – Madeira Interfluve provides a unique opportunity to study pre-Columbian impact on upland ‘terra firme’ forests, far from the main river channels. Floristic inventories by Brazilian project partners show that large forested areas, previously thought to be pristine, contain a high density of economically useful species and reflect historical forest management in this interfluve. Numerous ADE sites have been discovered along the Madeira River, but archaeological work has so far been absent from the upland forests. This makes the interfluve an ideal region in which to study past human land-use and its legacy, through the application of complementary archaeological, archaeobotanical and palaeoecological techniques.