Latin America

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