Here’s what you will learn when you read this story:
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The Archaeologists’ Fund with the World Monuments revealed over 100 unknown archeological structures in the Rio Abiseo National Park in Peru.
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The area in and around the park was the home of civilization Chachapoya from seventh to 16th Centuries.
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Located over 6500 feet above sea level, members of this civilization were known as “cloud forest people”.
Rio Abiseo National Park sits over 10,000 feet above sea level in the San Martin area in the Mountains of the Andes of Peru. It is known that many of his land are conducting ancient discoveries, and archaeologists still reveal more. A team recently located over 100 unknown structures, all part of the Chachapoya civilization from somewhere between seventh and 16th Centuries.
According to a message from the World Monument Fund, a team of archaeologists is exploring the area of Grand Pine within the Rio Abiseo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for both cultural wealth and natural beauty. The area was rediscovered for the first time in the 1960s, and in the 1980s – the National Park was officially founded in 1983 – the archeological teams opened 26 ancient structures. This new discovery from over 100 additional structures expands our understanding of the civilization of Chachapoya, the members of whom were known as “the people of the cloud forest”.
Civilization was known for complex city centers, ceremonial platforms, structures of the funeral of rocks and agricultural terraces. The regional society of the chief also had a distinctive architectural and artistic language, which remains in circular buildings, geometric friezes and decorated funerals.
From 2022 until 2024, researchers used air and manual scanning of Lidar, photogrammetry, topographic registration and technomorphological analysis to create a detailed map of Gran Pajatén with ceremonial buildings decorated with high-power frieze. The technology allowed archaeologists to see through the forest canopy, map the area and interpret construction techniques and layout.
“What makes this moment so meaningful is not only the scale of what was revealed, but also how we were able to do it,” said Benedict de Monlaur, president and CEO of WMF. “Using advanced technologies, our team managed to collect exceptional visual and scientific documentation that comes to life Grant Pajaton – all this, while maintaining its delicate environment.”
On Earth, investigations confirmed the presence of Chachapoya in Gran Pajatén, extended until the 14thth Century, with an analysis of the soil layer, hinting at even more use of the site. Adding to the discovery is the nearby network of prep, pre -American roads connecting the site with others in the region, supporting the theory that civilization is part of a well -connected territory full of hierarchical systems.
“This discovery radically expands our underestimation of Gran Pajaten and raises new questions about the role of the site in the world of Chachapoya,” said Juan Pablo de la Puente Brunke, CEO of WMF in Peru. “Now the evidence confirms that this is not an isolated complex, but part of an articulated network of pre-lung settlements from different periods.”
The remote location of the park means that rich archaeological sites have been the subject of minimal human intervention, helping to protect history with a high degree of authenticity. However, many sites are fragile, overgrown with vegetation.
While there, the archaeological team undertakes opaque interventions to strengthen the stairs and stone reliefs, along with a partial re -assembly of a wall around the perimeter. Ricardo Morales Gamara, the leader of the conservation component of the project, said the work could serve as a model for future efforts in the area.
The Museo de Arte de Lima in Peru now offers a free exhibition on the CHACHAPOYA culture and the latest WFM discoveries. “Although the site itself remains out of reach for most,” said de Monlaur, “These instruments will allow us to share its stories wide through a thoughtful, immersive digital storytelling.”
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