UNESCO and the European Space Agency (ESA) have announced Project Horizon-X, a pioneering mission to map unexplored pre-Columbian road networks deep within the Darién Gap. Using hyperspectral sonar-lidar technology mounted on low-orbit satellites, the project aims to penetrate the dense jungle canopy to identify 1,200-year-old transit corridors that once connected Chibchan and Mesoamerican civilizations.
Initial scans have already revealed stone-paved highways and bridge foundations that have been hidden for centuries. This initiative is part of a broader effort to document vulnerable heritage in remote regions before they are impacted by climate-driven shifts in vegetation or illegal land clearing, establishing a digital archive for future archaeological study.