Left; ceremonial club head, Right; LiDAR of mountaintop city

Updated 6 August, 2025 - 15:17 Gary Manners
Lost Chachapoyas Mountaintop City Discovered and Rare Artifacts Unearthed

Archaeologists have unveiled an extraordinary discovery in Peru's Amazonas region, where two rare ceremonial club heads and over 200 pre-Hispanic structures belonging to the ancient Chachapoyas culture have been unearthed. The findings, made by researchers from the Kuelap Archaeology and Anthropology Research Institute (INAAK), represent one of the most significant discoveries related to the mysterious "Warriors of the Clouds" in recent years. This remarkable find not only expands our understanding of Chachapoyas territorial extent but also reveals unique ceremonial practices that may have been previously undocumented in the archaeological record.



Revolutionary LiDAR Technology Unveils Hidden Structures
The discovery was made possible through cutting-edge LiDAR technology, which allowed researchers to penetrate the dense cloud forest canopy that has hidden these ancient settlements for centuries, reports INAAK. The Xalca Grande Archaeological Project, working in conjunction with INAAK, employed drones equipped with Light Detection and Ranging sensors to map the La Jalca district systematically, reports Heritage Daily. This technological approach has revolutionized archaeological exploration in the region, enabling researchers to identify structures that would have been impossible to detect using traditional ground-based methods.

The survey revealed an extensive network of more than 200 previously unknown Chachapoyas structures scattered across the mountainous terrain. These findings suggest that the Chachapoyas civilization had a more expansive territorial reach than previously understood, with settlements extending far beyond the well-known fortress city of Kuelap.



LiDAR survey results revealing previously hidden Chachapoyas structures in the cloud forests of Peru. ( INAAK)

Unique Ceremonial Club Heads Point to Chavín Influence

The most intriguing artifacts unearthed so far are the two ceremonial club heads found within the rubble of a perimeter wall surrounding a circular structure. These artifacts were deliberately placed in a manner that suggests profound religious or symbolic significance, indicating they were not merely discarded but positioned with ceremonial intent. The club heads exhibit stylistic characteristics reminiscent of the much earlier Chavín culture, which flourished in Peru's northern highlands from approximately 900 to 200 BC.

More:
https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/chachapoyas-discovery-0022323

by Dario Radley August 6, 2025

Archaeologists have unearthed more than 200 pre-Hispanic structures and two ceremonial club heads in the Amazonas region, Peru—shedding new light on the Chachapoyas civilization, also referred to as the “Warriors of the Clouds.” The discovery was made in the district of La Jalca at the Ollape Archaeological Site by the collaborative efforts of the Kuelap Archaeology and Anthropology Research Institute (INAAK) and the Xalca Grande Archaeological Project.

This extensive find was made possible because researchers employed LiDAR technology and aerial mapping by drones, which were capable of seeing beneath the dense cloud forest canopy that had concealed the site for decades. The survey, supported by the UNTRM Geomatics Research Laboratory, revealed a widespread, interconnected network of settlements on the mountainous terrain. These structures include round structures and ceremonial spaces, and some of them have architectural friezes, like a newly found zigzag design.

Two of the most intriguing discoveries are two ceremonial club heads, or “clava heads,” discovered in the rubble of a perimeter wall. Their orientation and placement suggest that they were not discarded but deliberately positioned, perhaps for spiritual or symbolic purposes. The objects show stylistic affinity with ancient Chavín artifacts (c. 900–200 BCE), indicating either cultural contact or extended preservation of art traditions within the region.



A clava head on display at the Chavín National Museum. Credit: Dtarazona / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Chachapoyas culture flourished in the cloud forests of Peru at high altitudes from around CE 200 to 1500. Best known for its fortress city of Kuelap and distinctive cliffside burial sites like Revash and Laguna de las Momias (“Mummy Lake”), the civilization has long been known only from the records of Inca and Spanish chroniclers. But the new discovery provides direct archaeological evidence that may force a rethinking of existing narratives.



Sarcophagi of Carajía, Chachapoyas culture. Credit: Draceane / CC BY-SA 4.0

Unlike previously excavated sites, the Ollape complex shows a greater territorial size and higher social complexity than previously known. The presence of ritual structures and unique artifacts also suggests diverse ritual practices, some perhaps not the same as those that took place at more well-known centers like Kuelap.

https://archaeologymag.com/2025/08/ceremonial-heads-and-structures-in-lost-chachapoyas-city/










Link to google images of this area:

https://tinyurl.com/4kssnsjm

(Wonderful thumbnails with links to articles in English or Spanish)

https://tinyurl.com/4kssnsjm

That whole part of Peru seems to be still virgin territory (kind of).

Gocta, which is the 3rd or 4th tallest waterfall on earth, wasn't even known beyond local inhabitants until 2005 or so.

Here's a link to a google page of Gocta photos:

https://tinyurl.com/4rzfwey2


Just found this YouTube:



Narrator speaks in English. Says Kuelap is 3 times older than Machu Picchu!

Thanks for naming Gocta. Had not heard of it until seeing your post.

I've always wanted to visit, and this is definitely off the heavily traveled Inca tourist circuit.

I mean, you pretty much have to visit Cuzco, crowds notwithstanding, but I'd be sorely tempted to skip Machu Picchu in favor of Choqueqirao, though it's much more of an expedition.