Mysterious Sarcophagi Belonging To The Chachapoyas The Cloud People

MessageToEagle.com – Archaeologists working in the Amazonas region of Peru have discovered 35 sarcophagi belonging to the Chachapoyas culture.

The mysterious pre-Incan Chachapoyas were known as the “Warriors of the Clouds” or the “Cloud People” what in Quechua means Chachapoyas, those who inhabited cloud forests of northern Peru, above the river valleys of the Utcubamba and Marañon.

Chachapoyas culture.
Diminutive size of sarcophagi has led archaeologists to believe that it may be a cemetery exclusively for children.

The discovery was made in July last year with the help of a super long zoom camera.
In September, researchers were able to reach the site to confirm the find and discovered that the sarcophagi were only about 70 centimeters tall on average.

It is believed that the group of sarcophagi may constitute a cemetery in which only children were buried.

Chachapoyas culture.

This anmcient burial site is unique because the sarcophagi were buried facing west, which is unusual for Chachapoyas cemeteries.
The Spanish chronicler of Peru and historian Pedro Cieza de León (c.1520 – 1554) described the mysterious Chachapoyas as follows:

“They are the whitest and most handsome of all the people that I have seen in Indies…”

Chachapoyas culture.
The Chachapoyas held out against the Incans until Tupac Yupanqui, an Inca ruler conquered them in 1480.

The Chachapoyas Kingdom was destroyed.

Chachapoyas culture.

Our knowledge about the Chachapoyas is very limited due to a lack of historical records that could highlight the cultural traditions of this lost civilization.
Today, the “Cloud People” are best known for their stone citadel, Kuelap, a remote place, discovered sixty years before the famous Machu Picchu, with more than four hundred buildings and massive cyclopean stone walls.

Chachapoyas culture.
“Because of the magnitude of the find, we’re dealing with a discovery that is unique in the world, which should be protected and integrated into the touristic circuit,” Manuel Cabañas López of the regional Ministry of Exterior Commerce and Tourism said.

Chachapoyas culture.
The Chachapoyas – “The Warriors of the Clouds” were a powerful civilization that flourished from about 800 AD until shortly before the Spanish conquest of the New World, when they were conquered by the Inca empire.

They are known for constructing the jungle fortress of Kuelap, an impressive complex located in Chachapoyas, Amazonas, in northern Peru.

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