Using high-definition LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), researchers have identified a sprawling urban complex hidden beneath the dense canopy of the Mindanao Highlands in the Philippines. Spanning over 500 hectares, the site features a series of concentric stone terraces, ritual plazas, and elevated residential platforms attributed to the ancestors of the Bagobo people.
The 'Sky City' shows evidence of advanced volcanic soil management and an intricate network of stone-lined canals used for high-altitude agriculture. This discovery suggests that pre-colonial Philippine societies were far more urbanized and architecturally sophisticated than previously recorded, supporting indigenous oral histories of a powerful mountain kingdom.