Recent analyses place Montegrande among the oldest monumental sites in the Americas

A new set of radiocarbon datings, conducted in July with support from the Peru Chapter of the Plan Binacional Perú–Ecuador , has revealed an earlier timeline for the archaeological site of Montegrande, located in Jaén, Cajamarca, Peru.

These findings confirm that the spiral structure at Montegrande was built around 6,000 years ago, placing it alongside other early formative cultures of the coast and Central Andes. One exceptional dating even doubles the original 2024 estimate, hinting at possible early human occupation in the area—though this should be interpreted cautiously. Full details of these results will be shared in upcoming academic publications.

Among the remarkable discoveries at Montegrande are remains of Theobroma cacao, as well as other foods like maize, cassava, and coca, which continue to be consumed in the region, highlighting their ritual significance. While it is not yet certain that the temple was dedicated solely to cacao, it clearly played an important symbolic role as an offering.

Excavations have also uncovered human burials, ceramic vessel fragments, stone sculptures shaped like cacao, rare stones such as chrysocolla, amazonite, and obsidian, ceramic figures of a jaguar and a macaw, and remains of Spondylus shell, among many other fascinating finds.

With these new datings, Montegrande is emerging as a major ceremonial center in the early history of the Peruvian Upper Amazon and across the continent, offering invaluable insights into ancient cultural and ritual practices.