Archaeologists Were Searching a Forest in the Clouds—and Found 100 Structures From an Ancient City

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story:

Archaeologists with the World Monuments Fund uncovered over 100 previously unknown archaeological structures in Peru’s Rio Abiseo National Park.
The area in and around the park was the home of the Chachapoya civilization from the seventh through 16^th centuries.
Located over 6,500 feet above sea level, the members of this civilization were known as the “people of the cloud forest.”

Rio Abiseo National Park sits over 10,000 feet above sea level in Peru’s San Martin region of the Andes Mountains. Plenty of its land is known to hold ancient discoveries, and archaeologists are still uncovering more. Recently, a team located over 100 previously unknown structures, all part of the Chachapoya civilization from sometime between the seventh and 16^th centuries.

According to a release from the World Monuments Fund, a team of archaeologists explored the Gran Pajatén area within the Rio Abiseo National Park, a UNESCO Mixed World Heritage site recognized for both cultural richness and natural beauty. The area was first rediscovered in the 1960s, and in the 1980s—the national park was officially founded in 1983—archaeological teams found 26 ancient structures. This new discovery of over 100 additional structures expands our understanding of the Chachapoya civilization, the members of which were known as the “people of the cloud forest.”

The civilization was known for sophisticated urban centers, ceremonial platforms, cliffside burial structures, and agricultural terraces. The regional chiefdom society also had a distinctive architectural and artistic language that remains on display in circular buildings, geometric friezes, and decorated burials.

From 2022 through 2024, researchers used aerial and manual LiDAR scanning, photogrammetry, topographic registration, and technomorphological analysis to create a detailed map of Gran Pajatén—a site with ceremonial buildings decorated with high-relief friezes, views of the cloud forest, and stone mosaics depicting human figures. 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’s been uncovered, but how we were able to do it,” Benedicte de Montlaur, president and CEO of WMF, said in a statement. “By using advanced technology, our team was able to gather extraordinary visual and scientific documentation that brings Grant Pajaten to life—all while preserving its delicate environment.”

On the ground, investigations have confirmed the Chachapoya presence at Gran Pajatén stretches back as far back as the 14^th century, with soil layer analysis hinting at even earlier use of the site. Adding to the discovery is a nearby network of pre-Hispanic roads connecting the site to others in the region, supporting the theory that the civilization was part of a well-connected territory full of hierarchical systems.

“This discovery radically expands our understating of Gran Pajaten and raises new questions about the site’s role in the Chachapoya world,” Juan Pablo de la Puente Brunke, executive director of WMF in Peru, said in a statement. “Evidence now confirms that it is not an isolated complex but part of an articulated network of pre-Hispanic settlements from different periods.”

The park’s remote location means that the rich archaeological sites have been subject to minimal human intervention, helping protect the history with a high degree of authenticity. Many of the sites, though, are fragile, overgrown by vegetation.

While there, the archaeological team undertook conservation interventions to reinforce stairs and stone reliefs, along with a partial reassembly of a perimeter wall. Ricardo Morales Gamarra, head of the conservation component of the project, said that the work can serve as a model for future efforts in the area.

The Museo de Arte de Lima in Peru is now offering a free exhibition on the Chachapoya culture and the recent WFM discoveries. “Though the site itself remains out of reach for most,” de Montlaur said, “these tools will allow us to share its stories widely through thoughtful, immersive digital storytelling.”

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