100 new structures from Peruvian Chachapoya civilization found in Andes
World Monuments Fund (WMF) announced a monumental discovery at Gran Pajatén, one of Peru's most significant archaeological sites for its exceptional architecture from the Chachapoya civilization.
In the 1960s, the Rio Abiseo National Park, a UNESCO Mixed World Heritage Site, quickly became known as one of the most remarkable surviving Chachapoya sites in the country.
The complex included 26 ceremonial buildings decorated with stone mosaics depicting human figures, high-relief friezes, and more.
Recently, researchers identified and documented more than 100 previously unknown archaeological structures. Described as a 'milestone,' the buildings have advanced archaeologists' understanding of their settlement organization, architecture, and regional influence, according to a press release.
Earlier research unearthed the site, but much remained hidden beneath dense vegetation since the 1960s, shrouding the complex's chronology and scope in mystery.
However, advanced technology, including aerial and manual LiDAR scanning, photogrammetry, topographic registration, and technomorphological analysis, enabled archaeologists to bring an unprecedented view of the Gran Pajatén to the surface without damaging the delicate ecosystem that holds it.
'What makes this moment so meaningful is not only the scale of what's been uncovered, but how we were able to do it,' Bénédicte de Montlaur said, President and CEO of World Monuments Fund.
'By using advanced technology, our team gathered extraordinary visual and scientific documentation that brings Gran Pajatén to life—all while preserving its delicate environment. Though the site remains out of reach for most, these tools will allow us to share its stories widely through thoughtful, immersive digital storytelling.
'This discovery radically expands our understanding of Gran Pajatén and raises new questions about the site's role in the Chachapoya world. Evidence now confirms that it is not an isolated complex but part of an articulated network of pre-Hispanic settlements from different periods,' Juan Pablo de la Puente Brunke, Executive Director of WMF in Peru, continued in a press release.
As the age of Gran Pajatén remained elusive, archaeologists confirmed that it dated earlier than they thought, the 14th century. The soil revealed an even earlier use of the site.
Furthermore, aside from a 'commanding view' of the cloud forest nearby, a nearby network of roads suggested an organized and well-connected territory.
Known as 'the people of the cloud forest,' the Chachapoya civilization developed between the seventh and sixteenth centuries in the northeastern Andes of Peru.
They settled about 6,561-9,842 feet above sea level. Often in hard-to-reach locations, they built sophisticated urban centers, ceremonial platforms, cliffside burial structures, and agricultural terraces.
They demonstrated a 'distinctive' architectural and artistic language, as their unique circular buildings, geometric friezes, and highly decorated cliffside burials reflect. Though they successfully warded off the Inca superpower, they eventually were incorporated before the arrival of the Spanish.
A free exhibition at the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI), Peru, on view from May 21 to June 18, offers visitors an opportunity to explore the Chachapoya culture in Peru and learn more about WMF's recent discoveries, the press release concludes.
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