Living in Peru : your everyday companion

(by Wolfy Becker)

http://filer.livinginperu.com/features/img/chachapoya_ruin.jpg540380

Keith Muscutt, an independent researcher, recently explored the site nicknamed the Penitentiary

Source: Keith Muscutt

Centuries ago the mysterious people of the Chachapoya fought together with the Spanish conquistadores against the Incas, before they were destroyed by epidemic diseases such as the measles and smallpox. A new discovery of ancient ruins could disclose the secret of the "cloud warriors".

Only little is known about the Chachapoya. The first worldwide publication came from the American scientist Gene Savoy in 1965 when he discovered one of their city ruins. The Chachapoya are a civilization that flourished in the upper Amazon, between its Huallaga and the Marañón tributaries, from about the ninth to the fifteenth century AD.

They resisted the Incas and after the arrival of the Spaniards they fought side by side with the colonial rulers against their joint rival. Because the Chachapoya lived in the misty rain forest of present day Peru, they are now referred to as the "cloud people" or "fog warriors" - according to the name's origin which derives from Quechua, Peru's second official language spoken mainly by the indigenous population.

http://filer.livinginperu.com/features/img/chachapoya_mummy.jpg383550

Chachapoya mummy: Since January 11, Lima's Museo de la Nacion exhibits the finds

Source: Reuters

The latest discovery in the middle of the jungle promises new revelations about the mysterious Chachapoya civilization. While on a hunting trip last year, family members Octavio, Merlin and Edison Añazco literally bumped into something extraordinary: an enormous ruin including a ceremonial platform (approximately 100 ft. x 200 ft. x 24 ft.) overlooking a football field-sized plaza, a watch tower, as well as numerous rectangular and circular buildings.

Keith Muscutt, an independent researcher from the University of California at Santa Cruz, heard about the find and recently explored the eastern Andes site. He said yesterday, Thursday, that the previously unknown pre-Columbian ruin named Huaca La Penitenciaría de la Meseta - nicknamed "The Penitentiary" because of its impregnable appearance - is "extremely unusual" and of particular interest because of its unprecedented form, size, and the remoteness of the area in which it was found.

The unfortified site, which was presumably used for ceremonies and ritual, is located approximately 900 miles north of Lima, Peru's capital. Up to now this region, inhabited in general by black faced spider monkeys, was considered on the far outskirts of Chachapoya settlements.

"The find shows that we still don't know exactly how large the Chachapoya territory was," says Muscutt. Scientists believed that the area was perceived as a buffer zone between the "cloud people's" settlements and rivaling cultures of the Amazon basin. "From what I saw this is definitely not a fortress", the scientist added. "Either the Chachapoya lived further East from what we originally thought, or these people have actually cooperated with their neighbors instead of fighting them."

http://filer.livinginperu.com/features/img/chachapoya_mummy3.jpg410550

Baby mummy: The Chachapoya are called the "cloud people"

Source: Reuters

Muscutt emphasized that there is still a lot of exploration work to do, before someone knows exactly that this is really a Chachapoya site. Several details, including the typical drywall structures, indicate that the ruins were once used by the "cloud people".

"The walls are slightly arched similar to a barrel". Muscutt thinks this was actually not intended by the constructors but it turned out to become a typical design feature. The ruins were abandoned approximately 400 years ago. "This is a very exciting archaeological time capsule", he remarked.

A few days ago, a new exhibition opened in Lima that shows several Chachapoya mummies which were discovered in various caves in 1996. This sensational find allowed archaeologists to extend their knowledge about the death rituals of the mysterious "fog warriors".

More than 200 mummies, tied up and in a typical crouched position, were recovered and due to the ideal micro climate inside the caves they are all very well preserved.

- related articles and websites -
separator
	Kuelap: A Mystery in the Clouds (by LIP, Jan. 15, 2007)
	Ancient cemetery cave of Peru's Chachapoyas culture vandalized (by LIP, Oct. 3, 2006)
	Pre-Columbian Ruin Discovered In Peru (by Sciencedaily.com, Jan. 18, 2007)
	Keith Muscutt's hompage
separator
-

Add to del.icio.us | |

Dear Wolfy.

I'm quoting you here, you wrote...

http

Keith Muscutt, an independent researcher, recently explored the site nicknamed the Penitentiary

Source: Keith Muscutt

"Centuries ago the mysterious people of the Chachapoya fought together with the Spanish conquistadores against the Incas"...

I believe you have your facts wrong unless I'm mistaken. I want to ask how could it had been that the the Spaniards could have fought together against the Incas, wen the Incas themselves were being conquered by the Spaniards?
In which year o time period since the Invation of Spain to the Tawantisuyo had this wars happened?
I was born in Peru and I don't recall being told that the Chachapoyans fought side by side with the Spaniards against the Incas at all.
That the Chachapoyans were strong worriors that they ressited Inca rule, yes, but never that Chachapoyans fought against the Incas for their defense helped by the Spaniards.
I believe that at that time of the Invasion of Spain, the Incas were already being crashed by the Spanish forces for them to take upon war tasks.

Mary,

Unfortunately, Wolfy is no longer here to defend his story.  He passed away earlier this year.

I recently read that the Chachapoyan people were much taller than the Inca and fair of skin with blonde hair and may have been used as guards for Inca treasure. Any truth to that?

Dear Sheila and Bruce,

Here is another great description of this fascinating new Peruvian discovery!!!   Bruce,  with your new hip, you'll be able to get in there next year!!!    Love,   glen

Is so sad our lovely friend Wolfi Becker passed away so suddenly more than a year ago, I am still in shock, He was such a wonderful human being, he loved Peru and Lima with his soul and heart, too bad his stay there was short lived, because of his sudden death 
We miss you Wolfi forever , maybe God needed another angel                                                                                                                     

eeeeeeeqs

Mary Tania Levy, despite you still sending messages to a dead world renowned archaeologist, for some twisted schizophrenic reason I want you in my arms. Stop wasting your time on discussing stuff that even your great grandmother won't know, and start dating me behind my girlfriends back. It makes perfect sense.

hhhhhhhh whoever you are, you are a complete jackass. Leave Mary Tania Levy alone. Stop dreaming of groping weird twisted stuff and start not doing it. I mean, seriously! I have compiled a list ESPECIALLY for you, all the names I could think of from the top of my smooth, intelligent head. Here it is. (Feel free to indulge yourself)
idiot, complete moron, dodo head, crackpot, screwball, loony, ol' crappy, Cap'n Kook, kleptomaniac, poor hygiene slimeball, dopey gropey dope, Bum, sicko, druggo, puppynapper and killed, Nerdy nerd, geeky geek, Poopeater, something from under the sink, apcray (translated to piglatin), doodlehead, twirp, gutterball, insane, stinky, crazy, mental, weirdo, witch, Shimmy shim, shemale, gender and hormonally challenged, STD infected loopy, sook, plopface, popface, Michael Jackson follower. There, that's all. No need to thank me for some synonyms for your really retarded name. Ah well, see you.

That was amazing Brad!!!.....NOW,GROW UP.

wtf is this????

i went on this page to learn about the Chachapoyas for some latin american history project, and i get this crap???

i thought this was a learning sight! not a dating thing or just some other website in which you can argue about stupid things with random ppl. go to myspace for that crap!

now on to find another website for my report.....

(sigh)

cool mummy's!

they are VERY spoky looking.
@WSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Chachapoyas did NOT fight with the Spanish against the Incas. The Chachapoyas were conquered by the Incas shortly before the arrival of the Spanish.

The Chachapoyas did NOT die of "epidemic diseases such as the measles and smallpox." They were conquered by the Incas, then the Spanish conquered the Incas.

Gene Savoy was NOT a scientist. We was an American explorer, author and cleric. The ruins Savoy came upon in 1965 were the Gran Pajatén. He did NOT discover the ruins, they were already known. He assumed credit as their discoverer.

There are more errors, but I don't want to spend all day correcting them.

Well you know Thomas carroll is right i believe that of the incas conquering and then being conquered thats what i've read in books Thanks! I love the mummies my question is how do they know if it's a girl or a boy mummy???
 If youd answer this answer to my sisters e-mail jenymoran@hotmail not the one i gave because my uncle probably wouldn't care he's a typical american who doesn't know anything else than U.S.A history and the only thing he knows is George Washington was our first president and that his face is in a quarter!!! Thanks LOL bye

the pic are awesome we are studying mummies and this is the best i found so far thanksfor the pic.....
and they are so sad to see the facial expressions on there faces.....might have been a painful death.

God Bless you, your family and wife Wolfy, you seemed like a really awesome guy, All of your articles were really good too... I wish I could have gotten to know you. :(

A man from what I can see, never had too much bad to say and always speaking positive and with brilliance.

God Bless :(

creepy; but cool. I'm studying these in history.

i need pictures and names of every peru ruin.does anyone know where i can go (what website).please help.thanks!



                                                                    cici143

Thomas, yes yo are correct the incas finally conq the Chacha but it was only a short time till the spainiords came, do you really think they would of thought what the Incas had done to them? Get your head out of the sand. Check out wikepedia about the Chachapoyans. Maybe you have been there or maybe not but have you ever been to Chachapoya or Kuelap? I have

I AM SO SCARED

IN THAT PICS

BUT ITS NICE

TO KNOW MORE ABOUT

MUMMIES......

I LOVE IT..

this is so COOL looking