About

Who are we?
We are a group of explorers, adventurers, scientists and archaeology enthusiasts who are investigating legends and historical facts about the Incas and the Spanish Conquest, such as the Treasure of the Llanganatis and the lost city of Paititi.

Our Goals
LostIncaGold invites you to share with us exciting discoveries from South America’s past. Our group, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to the discovery, preservation and study of archaeological resources of the ancient Land of the Incas.

People with an interest in archaeology – those just beginning to explore the field as well as vocational archaeologists and professionals – are all welcome.

Locating the mummy of Atahualpa and finding the lost Inca gold in the inhospitable region of the Llanganatis (also called ‘Llanganati’ or ‘Llanganates’), exploring the rain forests of the Andes looking for a legendary city of gold… are not easy enterprises. Hundreds of explorers have tried before us, and failed… or even died trying. Our approach is quite different than what has been attempted so far. We combine the best of knowledge management, crowdsourcing, archaeology, technologies resources and best practices. Our small team is rapidly growing and our members are located all over the globe, helping us gathering precious pieces of information and data.

Team Members
We are a non profit organization. Members volunteer their time and energy to participate in our programs, searching for historical evidence, documenting archaeological cases, helping to protect the Andes’ rich heritage and learning something about themselves in the process. The organization is operated by Benoit Duverneuil and a small team of active members.
Learn more about Benoit and our team.

LostIncaGold activities include
- Lectures on current fieldwork and research in archaeology, anthropology and Inca history.
- Classes and workshops in fieldwork methods and artifact analysis, taught by professional archaeologists from government and private organizations.
- Opportunities to take part in field projects and research.
- Field trips to important archaeological sites, museums and archives in Peru and Ecuador.
- Social events to share our experiences and insights with other members and working archaeologists.

Follow us
Our work is an on-going journey. We are currently investigating new leads, building technology platforms, recruiting new team members… This website is a place where you can check our progress and understand what is the story so far.

Searching Atahualpa
Our main project is dedicated to localize the mummy of the Inca Emperor Atahualpa. According to several historical sources, Atahualpa was garroted, his body burnt (clothes and part of his flesh), before being buried. His body was then retrieved by Ruminahui’s men, and mummified. The Inca General then took both the mummy and the remaining gold from the ransom to the mountains of the Llanganatis. We believe we have identified where his tomb is located and where the gold has been buried. We are now trying to validate our hypothesis and the accuracy of our findings before launching our first expedition.
Learn more about our project.

The Llanganatis
The area of the Llanganatis is an exceptional ecosystem located in the South East of Ecuador, from the heart of the Andes. It’s also one of the most treacherous terrain where few ventures. Investigating archeological leads in this area requires a lot of preparation and sharp survival skills. We are planning several expeditions in this area to validate our hypothesis and complete our investigations.
Learn more or join us in one of our expeditions.

Partners
This adventure wouldn’t be possible without the help of our unbelievable partners. The high-end technology deployed for our projects and our expeditions is very costly. We wouldn’t be able to fund our research without their unconditional help.
Find out more about them and support us.

Pro Bono
By learning a little bit more everyday about the history and culture of the Andes, it is crucial for us that part of our activities are dedicated to promote and support these regions and their communities. We are also trying to be a responsible organization and we are keeping a close eye on our environmental impact.
Learn more about how we support local communities.

Finally, you can also take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about us.