June
02
/ 2025
High in the cloud forests of the northeastern Peruvian Andes, where vegetation and altitude combine to conceal secrets, archaeologists have uncovered a breathtaking rediscovery: over 100 previously uncharted structures associated with the Chachapoya—a mysterious culture overshadowed by their Inca successors, known as “the people of the cloud forest”. Situated deep within the Río Abiseo National Park, Gran Pajatén has traditionally been regarded as a ceremonial outpost. But this has now been totally turned on its head. The site is emerging as a much more complicated, networked, and culturally rich place than anyone could have dreamed. Through a pioneering effort spearheaded by the World Monuments Fund (WMF) in Peru, marrying old-school archaeology with high-resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), photogrammetry, and
