Latest news with #Chachapoya
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
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 16th 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 16th 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 14th 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.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
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.
Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Funerary tower with remains from an ancient mountain civilization found in Peru
High up in the mountains of Peru's Amazonas region, in the 1,000-year-old city of Kuélap, archaeologists have unearthed a unique tower tomb with a set of bones buried inside. The discovery was made at the Kuélap llaqta — an ancient archaeological site officials call the most important monument in northeastern Peru, according to a May 16 news release from Peru's Ministry of Culture. Officials said the structure was a chulpa-style funerary tower. Inside were bones confirmed to belong to the ancient inhabitants of Kuélap, according to the release. The team also discovered various ceremonial objects and offerings, including a stone ax and a pendant engraved with geometric motifs, officials said. Archaeologists also uncovered six circular structures in a courtyard that were intentionally sealed. Inside were human skeletal remains which officials believe were deposited for ritual purposes before the site was abandoned, according to the release. Experts said the findings expand their knowledge of funerary and domestic practices in the northern region of Kuélap, and may offer clues about the relationships between the individuals at the site, according to the release. Kuélap, at nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, was the capital city of the pre-Hispanic Chachapoya civilization, according to experts. Google Translate was used to translate the new release from Peru's Ministry of Culture.
