Sacred Reciprocity for Huaca Montegrande and the Ancient Roots of Cacao
This 6,000-Year-Old Temple With Ancient Cacao Found in Peru’s Amazonian Jungle is at Risk as Sacred Archaeological Site Faces Funding Crisis
This summer, I had the honor to visit (with a group of friends) and spend time at the Montegrande archaeological site in Jaen, Peru, to one of Peru’s most significant historical locations and the origin of the world’s oldest known traces of domesticated cacao.
I was moved to tears by the power and beauty of this lesser known sacred site that’s connected to one of my favorite plant medicines…Cacao.
We had the honor to lay some prayers and make offerings at this beautiful site, where they are literally still uncovering, digging, and making new archeological discoveries every day. Never in my life have I seen four men working at an active archeological site literally using little tiny brushes to do their work (while walking barefoot on the land)! Wow.
Sadly, the archeological project is now out of funding at immediate risk of closure due to a lack of funding. Per Peruvian law, they would have to cover up the entire sacred site next month.
URGENT CALL FOR RECIPROCITY!
Join me (Beth Weinstein), Karen Gordon, Susan DeRyder, Lizzie Tilla, Natalie Connell and The Abundant Earth Foundation, our fiscal sponsor allowing you to make a tax-deductible donation HERE to us help keep Huaca Montegrande open and give back to the spirit of sacred cacao.
The site, which has provided unprecedented insights into ancient Amazon culture and thereby lauded as one of the “Top 10 Archeological Discoveries in the World” by the renowned Shanghai Archeological Forum, is currently under excavation. Without financial support, these vital efforts could come to an abrupt end.
The lead archeologist, Dr. Quirino Olivera, was telling us how they make offerings and prayers each day — Anyi, sacred reciprocity — asking the land and spirits of the temple to guide them in their work and findings. It’s more than a team of dedicated human archeologists working at Montegrande: they never leave out all the spirits, ancestors, indigenous tribes, guardians, Pachamama, Apus, Ñust’as, elementals, animals, birds, insects, stone beings, and so on.
Despite the site’s national significance, international academic accolades, and the documentary spotlight, the archaeology team has faced severe financial constraints, putting the continuation of their work in jeopardy.
The ongoing excavation and research have been carried out by a small non-profit organization ASICAMPE (Association for the Scientific Research of the Peruvian Amazon), which has been primarily funded through public grants and private donations. Today, these resources are nearly exhausted.
If the excavations cease and the site closes, the opportunity to learn from Montegrande’s ancient relics and continued findings may be lost forever. Per Peruvian law, to protect national patrimony, the site would need to be re-buried.
HELP US KEEP MONTEGRANDE OPEN.
Please give back to this Sacred Site —donate and help spread the word about this urgent campaign.
“We are on the brink of losing a crucial piece of our shared history,” says Dr. Quirino Olivera, head archaeologist. “With the support of the global community, we can ensure that the story of Montegrande continues to be told.”
Montegrande, also known as Huaca Montegrande, is a key archaeological site located in the high Amazonian jungle of Jaen province, within the Cajamarca region. It is recognized as Peru’s most ancient temple site and the location where the oldest known traces of Theobroma cacao seeds and beverage have been discovered, dating back over 5,300 years. This groundbreaking discovery has reshaped our understanding of ancient Amazon culture, spirituality, agricultural practices and trade networks in pre-Columbian America, as published in Scientific Reports in May 2024.
The global importance of Huaca Montegrande has been highlighted in a PBS NOVA documentary, a public television network in the United States. This documentary has brought international attention to the site, emphasizing the need to preserve this ancient legacy. The film has allowed global audiences to appreciate the rich and unprecented history of Montegrande, further underscoring the urgency of ongoing excavation and research efforts.
Donations can be made directly through the Abundant Earth Foundation’s website at https://abundantearthfoundation.org/ancientcacao/
The Abundant Earth Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting projects that promote sustainability and cultural preservation. They have generously agreed to be the 501c3 fiscal sponsor for this critical fundraiser. All donations are tax deductible.
Every contribution, no matter how small, will play a critical role in preserving this wonderful and important ancient cacao sacred site!
For More Information: For more details on the Montegrande site and how you can help, please visit https://abundantearthfoundation.org/ancientcacao/
Media Kit with images and videos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1p002oVVhkMBbVAOXKRyeCNQsiUdg-o3D?usp=sharing
Or feel free to send a direct message via my contact form here or on my Instagram.
Huaca Montegrande
Huaca Montegrande
