Based in high-altitude urban centers, the Chachapoya resisted conquest by the Inca Empire for centuries

Researchers in Peru have announced the discovery of more than 100 previously unknown archaeological structures at Gran Pajatén, a pre-Columbian settlement in the remote reaches of the Andes Mountains.

Located roughly 300 miles north of Lima in Río Abiseo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Gran Pajatén complex contains remnants of the Chachapoya civilization, which thrived in the northeast Andes between the 9th and 16th centuries, until it was conquered by the Inca Empire.

Sites like Gran Pajatén—all but inaccessible to modern visitors and researchers because of its remote location, high altitude and dense foliage—helped earn the Chachapoya the nickname “Warriors of the Clouds” and resist Inca colonization for longer than other groups.

That remoteness has also contributed to an air of mystery around the Chachapoya civilization.

The Gran Pajatén site was first discovered in the 1960s, but research stagnated after archaeologists recorded 26 structures in the 1980s. This latest slew of discoveries, announced by the World Monuments Fund (WMF) last month, represents a triumph for the study of the mysterious ancient civilization.

“Although specialists suspected that the extension of Gran Pajatén was greater, our findings were unexpected—not only in terms of scale, but in how they reframe the role and significance of the site,” Juan Pablo de la Puente, executive director of WMF in Peru, tells the Art Newspaper’s Garry Shaw.

Using technology like lidar scanning and photogrammetry to “see through the forest canopy,” according to a WMF statement, archaeologists working at Gran Pajatén since 2022 revealed a sophisticated urban settlement complete with agricultural terraces, circular buildings and cliffside tombs at altitudes of up to nearly 10,000 feet above sea level.

Digitally mapping the sites allowed researchers to process their findings in relation to the natural environment, as well as a regional network of pre-Columbian roads between other Chachapoya sites like La Playa, Papayas and Los Pinchudos. High-relief friezes and stone mosaics of human figures suggest Gran Pajatén’s central cultural role.

“The site likely held ceremonial and symbolic significance, while also functioning as a strategic cultural and territorial center,” de la Puente tells Artnet’s Richard Whiddington, pointing out its visual prominence high in the Peruvian Andes.

Archaeological findings confirm that Gran Pajatén was inhabited by the Chachapoya in the 14th century, although there is some indication from soil layer analysis that the site was used even earlier. It remained at the nexus of the Chachapoya world for roughly two centuries, until the Inca Empire expanded into the mountainous region now known as San Martín.

Researchers work to conserve a building at Gran Pajatén in 2023. Heinz Plenge Archive / World Monuments Fund

Today, conservators are attempting to preserve the remote site while maintaining its integrity and utility to other scholars. They removed some vegetation to facilitate access, and certain at-risk buildings were treated with a specially formulated, clay-based mixture to reinforce stone structures without altering their original layout.

While the rugged site is still out of reach for most visitors, digital mapping and 3D renderings are making the remote settlement more accessible for tourists and other researchers alike.

“By using advanced technology, our team was able to gather extraordinary visual and scientific documentation that brings Gran Pajatén to life—all while preserving its delicate environment,” says Bénédicte de Montlaur, the president and CEO of WMF, in the statement. “These tools will allow us to share its stories widely through thoughtful, immersive digital storytelling.”

Although they have already mapped hundreds of new structures, the researchers have only processed 10 percent of the lidar data.

“What excites me most is that we’re only scratching the surface,” de la Puente tells the Art Newspaper. “The path ahead is full of possibility, and we’re just beginning the journey.”