Using advanced LiDAR technology, researchers have identified a lost urban complex deep in the Colombian jungle once inhabited by the Muisca civilization. The high-resolution mapping shows over 300 circular structures and a specialized district containing industrial-scale furnaces for smelting gold and copper alloys.
The discovery challenges previous assumptions about the scale of Muisca urbanism, revealing a highly organized society with a dedicated class of artisans. The site, which dates back to roughly 100 BCE, shows a network of paved roads connecting the residential areas to high-altitude ceremonial platforms.