Researchers have identified more than 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) of previously undocumented pre-Hispanic trails near Machu Picchu, uncovering a new section of the ancient road network that linked the Inca citadel to its surrounding landscape. Researchers detected the routes in the Mandor Wall sector, east of the Machu Picchu citadel, during archaeological reconnaissance in Jul. 2026. The team used LiDAR to map terrain hidden beneath dense vegetation.
The discovery does not mean that archaeologists have confirmed the entire 2.5-kilometer network as Inca-built. Researchers identified trail sections, platforms and terraces, but they still need fieldwork to establish their age, function and state of preservation. Approximately 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) of these paths exhibit layouts and structural features characteristic of Inca engineering, including a distinctive zigzag section.
A hidden road network emerges around Mandor
The Mandor Wall lies in a difficult-to-access part of the Machu Picchu Archaeological Park. Steep terrain and dense vegetation make conventional archaeological surveys difficult, particularly when structures leave only subtle traces on the ground.
LiDAR, short for Light Detection and Ranging, helped researchers overcome that problem. The system sends laser pulses toward the ground and measures their return time. Computers then use millions of measurements to create detailed three-dimensional models of the terrain.
Those models can reveal features that vegetation conceals from people working at ground level. In this survey, researchers identified trails, terraces and platforms around the Mándor Wall, including routes that appear to connect different spaces in the area.
The preliminary reconnaissance brought together Peru’s Decentralized Directorate of Culture of Cusco and the Center for Andean Studies at the University of Warsaw. Nino del Solar Velarde, head of archaeological research coordination for Machu Picchu, explained that LiDAR enables researchers to locate potential structures without clearing vegetation or conducting invasive excavations.
The University of Warsaw boasts a longer history of research at Machu Picchu. Its researchers have previously worked with Peruvian authorities on LiDAR mapping and other archaeological studies in the park. The collaboration has included research into the Inca water system and the use of three-dimensional laser scanning to document archaeological remains.
One trail shows a distinctive zigzag design
The most significant section identified so far extends for about 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles). Researchers say its layout and construction characteristics are consistent with techniques associated with the Inca period. A zigzag section stands out among the features detected in the survey.
That identification remains provisional. While LiDAR data reveals the terrain’s physical layout, it cannot independently establish when a particular trail was built. Archaeologists must inspect the routes directly and look for construction materials, associated structures and other evidence that can establish their chronology. Researchers also detected possible platforms or enclosures along some sections. Their purpose remains unknown.
Fieldwork will therefore determine whether the newly mapped trails formed part of a single network and how people used them. Archaeologists will also examine how the routes connected with the Mándor Wall and other parts of the surrounding Machu Picchu landscape.
The distinction between the 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) of detected trail sections and the 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) with characteristics consistent with Inca construction is important. The first figure describes what LiDAR revealed. The second describes the portion that researchers currently associate with Inca construction techniques.
The discovery expands the map beyond the famous citadel
Machu Picchu is usually associated with its stone citadel, but the archaeological park covers a much larger area. Peru’s Decentralized Directorate of Culture of Cusco says the park contains more than 60 archaeological monuments connected by a complex network of Inca roads.
The newly detected routes add evidence to that wider landscape. They could help researchers understand how people moved between different areas and how the Inca organized access around the settlement.
This broader view has already shaped archaeological research at Machu Picchu. Earlier LiDAR projects demonstrated that laser scanning can reveal walls, terraces and other features that are difficult to identify in forested terrain. Researchers from the University of Warsaw and other institutions have used the technology to investigate archaeological sites elsewhere in the park.
Bartłomiej Ćmielewski, a researcher at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology who specializes in 3D scanning and modeling, has previously led LiDAR work at Machu Picchu. His research has included the development and use of drone-mounted LiDAR systems for archaeological documentation in dense vegetation.
The current discovery builds on that broader use of remote sensing. Instead of searching the entire forested area on foot, archaeologists can identify promising locations in three-dimensional data and then investigate those locations directly.
Archaeologists still have to verify what LiDAR revealed
The newly mapped trails represent the first stage of the investigation, not its final result. Peru’s cultural authorities and the research team plan to conduct archaeological fieldwork at the georeferenced locations identified by the LiDAR survey. That work should establish the routes’ chronology, function, and condition.
The distinction matters because remote sensing can reveal the shape of an archaeological feature without answering every question about it. A trail can be visible in a terrain model, for example, without revealing when people built it or exactly why they used it.
Researchers now have a newly mapped network of trails to explore near Machu Picchu, spanning more than 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles)—including a 1.2-kilometer (0.75-mile) section featuring classic Inca engineering and a striking zigzag route.
The next step is on the ground. Archaeologists will have to walk the routes that lasers found beneath the vegetation and determine what they can tell us about movement, construction, and life around Machu Picchu centuries ago.