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Karajia: The unique and inaccessible Chachapoya sarcophaguses in Peru

In the north of Peru, just before the “gates” of Amazonia, there is the wonderful city of Chachapoyas. It is an isolated city and the capital of the Amazonas Region.

In a radius of 62 miles (100 km) of Chachapoyas, there are astonishing historical sites and monuments constructed before and after the Inca’s conquest of the Chachapoya. Following the Inca’s trail is a journey through the history of South America and one of the most beautiful sights on it is the Karajia archeological site.

The painted warriors’ sarcophagi of Karajia. Mummies of famed warriors were entombed inside the sarcophagi and placed on cliffs, with the skulls of their enemies placed on top   Photo credit
The painted warriors’ sarcophagi of Karajia. Mummies of famed warriors were entombed inside the sarcophagi and placed on cliffs, with the skulls of their enemies placed on top   Photo credit

 

Karajia  Photo credit
Karajia  Photo credit

 

Karajia   Photo credit
Karajia   Photo credit

The site is located 60 km northeast of Chachapoyas on 6798 miles (2072 meters) altitude. Unreachable, high above the path in the limestone cliff, are the funeral tombs of the “ancient wise men.”

The seven 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) tall sarcophaguses are construed of clay, sticks, and grass, and carved in stone. They resemble six limbless torsos, with large heads and exaggerated jawlines. Even though the remote location has preserved them from destruction, in 1928, one of the original eight sarcophaguses was destroyed due to an earthquake.

Karajia sarcophaguses  Photo credit
Karajia sarcophaguses  Photo credit

According to the radiocarbon, the sarcophagi dated to the 15th century were carved by the Chachapoya people (also called “Warriors of the Clouds”) just before the Inca empire conquered their civilization in the 1470s. The Chachapoya mummified important individuals of their civilization in the sarcophagi which were called “purunmachus.”

Carajía sarcophaguses   Photo credit
Carajía sarcophaguses   Photo credit

 

Lone sarcophagus at Karijia Photo credit
Lone sarcophagus at Karijia Photo credit

The sarcophaguses are painted white and overlaid with feathered tunics and male genitalia which displays the gender of the deceased, in yellow ochre and two red pigments.

Some of the headpieces are adorned with horns which resemble deer antlers. These “purunmachos” are unique because of the human skulls which are atop on some of the heads.

The long faces of the warriors. The skulls mounted on top are thought to be the most powerful enemies killed by the warrior’s  Photo credit
The long faces of the warriors. The skulls mounted on top are thought to be the most powerful enemies killed by the warrior’s  Photo credit

The “Purunmachos,”  as the local people call the sarcophaguses, were discovered in 1984 by the Peruvian archaeologist Federico Kauffmann Doig.

Read another story from us: Q’iswa Chaka: The last remaining Inca rope bridge in Peru is rebuilt every year by local villagers

He found and approached them with an assistance of a team, and later exposed them to the world. According to his studies of the “purunmachos,” the deceased were placed in a fetal position and wrapped in a cocoon of wild cane stalks tied up with twine. The heads had been sculpted afterward and then placed on top of the “bodies.” Along with Kauffmann, there are only a few other archaeologists and TV crews that managed to reach the sarcophaguses.

 

Tijana Radeska

Tijana Radeska is one of the authors writing for The Vintage News