A high-resolution LiDAR survey has mapped a sprawling network of 'garden cities' hidden beneath the dense canopy of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. These settlements, attributed to the Tairona civilization (circa 500 CE), feature thousands of circular stone terraces interconnected by sophisticated paved roads and gravity-fed irrigation canals.
The mapping reveals that these cities were designed with an advanced understanding of ecological urbanism, integrating high-altitude agriculture directly into the residential layout. Archaeologists are particularly struck by the similarity in hydraulic engineering to ancient Indian step-wells, suggesting a universal response to water management in steep mountain terrains.