Montegrande is the name of an archaeological site located in the province of Jaen in the department of Cajamarca. It is about a ceremonial temple that dates to more than 5,000 years ago. After a nine-year research that started in 2009 and studied this temple, with rocks that form a spiral shape and its surroundings, they discovered that this site was part of a culture that developed in the border of Peru and Ecuador and extended to both countries. First, they thought that this site belonged to the Bracamoros culture, but after some studies in the US, they noticed that they belonged to a much older culture. The researchers in both, Ecuador and Peru, want to build a binational touristic archaeological park that shows the uniqueness of this culture that existed more than 5,000 years ago.

One of the most important discoveries of this culture is that they have found the presence of cacao and would proof that cacao was born in this region and that you can find the oldest cacao in the world. They have found artifacts made from cacao seeds, but perhaps they used it before it was a domesticated product. Today, there is a group of farmers that grow coffee in the highlands that surround Montegrande, from Jaen to San Ignacio (next to Ecuadorian border), they are not only committed to protect their land and the environment but proud to be the direct descendants of one of the most resilient cultures in the country.