Colombia’s Lost City: How Ciudad Perdida Was Found in the 1970s
Deep in the mountains of Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, an ancient settlement remained hidden beneath dense jungle for centuries. Known today as Ciudad Perdida (Lost City), Teyuna, or Buritaca 200, the archaeological site became internationally recognized after a dramatic discovery involving treasure hunters, archaeologists, and a difficult expedition into the rainforest. But the […]
Ciudad Perdida, also known as the Lost City, is an ancient settlement nestled deep within Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains. For centuries, the site remained hidden beneath the dense jungle, known only to local treasure hunters like Francisco "Franky" Rey. In the mid-1970s, Rey and fellow treasure hunter Jesus "El Negro" Rodriguez were hired as guides for an expedition organized by Colombia’s Institute of Anthropology to verify reports of an enormous looted archaeological site.
Reaching the settlement after a perilous 10-day journey through the rainforest, the group encountered an intricate network of stone terraces, stairways, and platforms that demonstrated an advanced understanding of construction and water management. The discovery, though tragic for the site's damage by treasure hunters, proved invaluable to archaeologists in understanding the sophisticated pre-Hispanic Tayrona civilization.
Today, Ciudad Perdida stands as a remarkable testament to the engineering and urban organization of this ancient society, preserved and protected by Colombia's Institute of Anthropology and History.
Written by urgent.news from Colombia One's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
