Janjita travel journal: THE FORTRESS OF KUELAP

First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Human Quintara, who kindly sent me basic information about the Fortress of Kuelap, which is not very known among tourist, which is really a pity. It is as interesting and archeologically valuable as Machu Picchu, but this archeological site it is still being investigated.

As the El Comercio, the Peruvian newspaper, reported on October, 30 in 2010: “In an imposing building, located at the top of the fortress of Kuelap, built with stone slabs and fitted with various offerings, a group of archaeologists discovered last Thursday the grave of one of the most important characters that ruled the Chachapoyas society over 500 years ago.” The investigative group, leaded by Alfredo Narváez, gave the first good news on the 3rd August. They ran into a first grave containing six human burials. The tomb was found in the southern sector called Upper Town, in the residential area of the fortress.

The newspaper reports further: »In the months that followed, archaeologists were able to record nearly a hundred offerings, among which are fragments and Spondylus shell beads, quartz and ceramics, as well as stone and bone tools, gemstones and silver plates, copper and copper gold.

By continuing with the excavation, they found that under four small irregular stones and fragments of Spondylus there were three slabs of extraordinary dimensions that served to close the main tomb. They had discovered something really important. Narváez decided to clear all doubts and, on Thursday morning revealed the contents of the burial chamber.

The inside of the burial chamber was divided into two parts. In the southern sector were placed the remains of a human body that was flexed in a fetal position. In the north sector of the tomb were found three ceramic objects, including two aryballos with Inca-style tap and multicolored decorations. They also found two Spondylus shells and remains of a lama.

According to Narváez, it is impossible to establish the position of this person, but presumably he was an important leader of the Chachapoyas society during the period of Inca domination. He commented that there were offerings in the chamber brought especially from Cusco, but the person buried in the chamber was not necessarily from Cusco, he could have been a local wise man, who had a high position during the Inca administration.

The importance of this discovery is that it allows knowing a new pattern of burials, unlike the traditional Chachapoyas, involving the placement of coffins in a very steep mountain or cliff.

The tomb of the ruling elite of the Chachapoyas culture is located in the southern sector of the wall of the fortress of Kuelap, specifically in the area known as Upper Town (Pueblo Alto).

Kuelap is located 3,000 meters above the sea level in the district of El Tingo, Luya Province in the Amazonas region.

A brief description of the Fortress of Kuelap

Architectural icon of the Chachapoyas Culture, located at 3, 000 meters above the sea level in the district of El Tingo, Luya Province in the Amazonas region, surrounded by a vast wall of up to 20m at its highest point and 680m long. Apart from serving as a residence it also had the following functions: military, agricultural, funeral and religious. It is divided into the upper town (pueblo alto) and lower town (pueblo bajo); in the Fortress we can observe the Templo Mayor, the tower and over 420 round houses. The Fortress was constructed between the years 1000 to 1300 years AD.