Sacred archaeological center whose research rewrites the history of Amazonian cultures and the origin of cacao. The project by the Association for Scientific Research in the Peruvian Amazon (ASICAMPE), led by archaeologist Quirino Olivera, reveals eye-opening aspects of the Marañon culture, an ancient pre-Columbian civilization that inhabited the territories of the Upper Peruvian Amazon approximately 6000 years ago.
MONTEGRANDE AND THE MARAÑON CULTURE
Montegrande is the first monumental architecture that suggest the birth of religion in the Amazon. Its spiral shape represents the oldest and most universal symbol in the history of mankind; it symbolizes the constant change, transformation and development that the universe goes through and along with it, human beings. Life is movement and this movement is in spiral, it is evolutionary energy. We can also observe this spiral in our DNA chains, the shell of a snail, a tornado, the growth of plants, the movement of a snake and, on the other hand, in dance. It was built aproximately 6000 years ago by the inhabitants of the Marañon culture and is located in the province of Jaen, in the region of Cajamarca, in the Upper Amazon of Peru.
The monumental architecture of Montegrande has been built in earth and stone with anti-seismic structures. In the archaeological contexts it has been possible to register diverse funerary contexts some of them of multiple character which were buried to guide the way of those who had just died because they believed in a life after death and those who had died before knew the way and could guide the recently deceased towards the other life. To accompany the tombs they deposited various stone artifacts such as carvings of cacao cobs and seeds. Several pieces have been discovered at this site, such as fullers, ceramics, human burials and other artifacts, as well as the remains of the oldest Theobroma cacao in the world. The inhabitants of this civilization occupied a territory that goes beyond the borders of present-day Peru.
Photo: Heinz Plenge
Photo: Gloria Aguinaga
CACAO AND ITS ORIGIN
On March 7, 2024, a study was published in the journal Scientific Reports that reaffirms the theory of archaeologist Quirino Olivera: cacao was domesticated 5,300 years ago in the Amazon. New carbon 14 dating conducted in 2025 and funded by the Peru Chapter of the Plan Binacional Peru-Ecuador, yield even older dates of approximately 6000 years old.
In Montegrande, remains of Theobroma cacao have been found inside ceramic pieces, along with other plant remains. Analysis and carbon 14 tests corroborate the antiquity of these samples.
Research on the origin of cacao continues, since this element is fundamental in many cultures. From the South of the Americas to the North (Mesoamerica), cacao traveled through what we know today as an ancestral corridor.
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Join our permanent sponsorship program, coordinated by ASICAMPE in Peru, and help advance research at the Huaca Montegrande archaeological site. This is an internal program from the official website. The program focuses on five key areas of study. Sponsors are recognized as Sponsorship Allies on our website. Contributions can be made easily through our sponsorship form that accepts Mercado Pago or PayPal.
ABUNDANT EARTH FOUNDATION CAMPAIGN
Join Abundant Earth Foundation’s temporary 2025 crowdfunding campaign to support research at Huaca Montegrande. This is an external campaign in support of our research. Donations from the United States are tax-deductible, as the campaign is organized through a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Abundant Earth Foundation supports community projects addressing climate change, social inequality, global malnutrition, and more.