Kuelap
Encyclopedia
The fortress of Kuelap or Cuélap (Chachapoyas, Amazonas, Perú), associated with the Chachapoyas culture
, consists of massive exterior stone walls containing more than four hundred buildings. The structure, situated on a ridge overlooking the Utcubamba Valley in northern Peru
, is roughly 600 meters in length and 110 meters in width. It could have been built to defend against the Huari or other hostile peoples however evidence of these hostile groups at the site is minimal. Radiocarbon dating
samples show that the structures construction started in the 6th century AD and occupied until the Early Colonial period (1532-1570), however through the pre-Columbian, conquest and colonial periods we have only the four brief references to Kuelap. In lieu of newly discovered documents, there exists no other testimony concerning the site until 1843.
This prime example of Chachapoyan
architecture, Kuelap, remained ignored by the outside world until 1843, when Juan Crisóstomo Nieto
, a Chachapoyas
judge, made a survey of the area and took note of Kuelap's great size, guided by villagers who had known of the site for generations. Subsequently, Kuelap earned the attention of explorers, historians and archaeologists. Notable observers who helped publicize the site included Frenchman Louis Langlois (who wrote a description of Kuelap in the 1930s), Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier
, Ernst Middendorf, Charles Wiener and Antonio Raimondi.
The ruins of Kuelap are located at the summit of a hill that rises on the left bank of the Utcubamba
, having like axis 6°25′07″ LS and 77°55′24″ LOG, according to the engineer Hernán Corbera. Access to Kuelap is gained through El Tingo
, a town at approximately 1800m altitude near the bank of the Utcubamba
. A horse trail also winds along the left bank of Tingo river
and leads eventually up to Marcapampa, a small plain near the site.
The monumental ruins of Kuelap are situated at 3000 m above sea level. Judging from its sheer size, Kuelap's construction required considerable effort, rivalling or surpassing other archaeological structures in the Americas in size. The structure is almost 600 m in length and its walls rise up to 19 m in height.
There are multiple levels or platforms within the complex. Because of its extension, these flat elevations support about 400 constructions, most of them cylindrical
. From them, only bases remain. In some cases, there are decorated walls with friezes of symbolic content that, in general, seem to evoke eyes and birds that take the form of a letter V
in a chain. There are three structures that stand out from the hundreds of others within the complex:
The first level is accessed by three portals
, two located on the east or principal frontage
; the third one placed on the west.
The best preserved portal and probably the principal one, is located in the south side of the frontispiece
. It is 3 m wide at its base and is flanked by high walls, resembling an alleyway. It narrows sharply as it rises, culminating into a space large enough for one person to enter (forming the shape of a pie slice). Scholars believe this was defensive in nature; it has also been speculated that this formation symbolizes an immense vulva
. Archaeologists excavated the gateway in 2005/2006 and uncovered a tomb and various designs carved into the blockwork including snakes and heads.
There are other aspects which merit consideration: the colossal construction of Kuelap and the engineering required to provide a sophisticated system of rainwater drainage
. At present, because its pipelines are obstructed, the monument has been swelling up. After the big platform
is being dilated this way, the wall stones that provide part of the structure are becoming detached. It has not also been clarified how the water supply
was carried out; perhaps some of the enclosures that lacked access have served as places where water was reserved. The other enclosures, most of them, should have been food storehouses like the tambos of the Incas
, shaping a considerable conglomerate of granaries
.
Regarding the function that Kuelap had, there is not also a completely satisfactory response. Popularly it is qualified as "fortress
", because of its place and high walls that support its primary level. Adolf Bandelier
and especially Louis Langlois tried to demonstrate that Kuelap, was more than a fortress
, it might have been a fortified place destined to serve as refuge to the population
in emergency situations. They attributed to it, probably by analogy, the same function as medieval European borough
s.
The high walls that veneered the platform and the tightness of the access to the citadel
in its final stretch, suggest in effect, that the monument of Kuelap could be constructed for offering a defensive character, or at least, it should have been a place that was protected against intruders. But this possibility does not necessarily annul the others, perhaps of major transcendency.
This way, taking into consideration the function served by the monumental architecture in the Peru
vian archaeological past in general, the same one that was related to the socioeconomic needs, it can be concluded that Kuelap could be basically a pre-inca
sanctuary
. A powerful aristocracy
lived in it, whose primary mission was to administer food production and provide religious leadership.
Some time ago, diverse mausoleums were found by accident on the banks of a lagoon known as "Laguna de las Momias
" (Mummies' lagoon), located in an inaccessible and uninhabited place of the district of Leimebamba
in the province of Chachapoyas. The first exploratory expedition integrated by archaeologists
was directed by Federico Kauffmann Doig
, in May-June, 1997. Five mausoleums, that were protected by a cave
that presents rock paintings
, were replete with funeral bundle
s, objects of ceramics
, quipu
s, etc., attributable to the Chachapoyas culture
.
The graves
began to be plundered by stockbreeders
who sighted them when they were walking around the area of the lagoon. When they realized that the mummies
were not presenting any jewelry
nor any other adornments
of precious metal
s desisted from pillaging them; this way, about thirty funeral bundle
s have been saved from the plundering. Such discovery would allow the archaeologists to continue their works to establish new bases of knowledge.
More recently, in July 2010, remains of 79 human bodies dating back to the seventh century were found inside a stone wall believed to have been a secondary grave site, meaning the remains had been removed from their original place, which was a widespread custom in pre-Columbian Peru. Most bone remains found are of adults.
Chachapoyas culture
The Chachapoyas, also called the Warriors of the Clouds, were an Andean people living in the cloud forests of the Amazonas region of present-day Peru. The Incas conquered their civilization shortly before the arrival of the Spanish in Peru. When the Spanish arrived in Peru in the 16th century, the...
, consists of massive exterior stone walls containing more than four hundred buildings. The structure, situated on a ridge overlooking the Utcubamba Valley in northern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, is roughly 600 meters in length and 110 meters in width. It could have been built to defend against the Huari or other hostile peoples however evidence of these hostile groups at the site is minimal. Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
samples show that the structures construction started in the 6th century AD and occupied until the Early Colonial period (1532-1570), however through the pre-Columbian, conquest and colonial periods we have only the four brief references to Kuelap. In lieu of newly discovered documents, there exists no other testimony concerning the site until 1843.
This prime example of Chachapoyan
Chachapoyas culture
The Chachapoyas, also called the Warriors of the Clouds, were an Andean people living in the cloud forests of the Amazonas region of present-day Peru. The Incas conquered their civilization shortly before the arrival of the Spanish in Peru. When the Spanish arrived in Peru in the 16th century, the...
architecture, Kuelap, remained ignored by the outside world until 1843, when Juan Crisóstomo Nieto
Juan Crisóstomo Nieto
Juan Crisóstomo Nieto, a Chachapoyas judge, who brought the fortress of Kuelap to the attention of the world in the 1840s.Nieto, guided by local villagers who had known the site for generations, made a survey of the area and took note of the great size of Kuelap, the major example of Chachapoyan...
, a Chachapoyas
Chachapoyas Province
Chachapoyas is a province of the Amazonas Region, Peru. The province of Chachapoyas was a part of the department of Trujillo being its capital the city of Chachapoyas....
judge, made a survey of the area and took note of Kuelap's great size, guided by villagers who had known of the site for generations. Subsequently, Kuelap earned the attention of explorers, historians and archaeologists. Notable observers who helped publicize the site included Frenchman Louis Langlois (who wrote a description of Kuelap in the 1930s), Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier
Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier
Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier was an American archaeologist after whom Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico, United States, is named....
, Ernst Middendorf, Charles Wiener and Antonio Raimondi.
The ruins of Kuelap are located at the summit of a hill that rises on the left bank of the Utcubamba
Utcubamba River
The Utcubamba River is a river in the Amazonas Region of Peru, located at . The river's name is Quechua for "cotton fields".The Utcubamba River originates in the highlands of the central cordillera, then flows north through Amazonas before joining the Marañón River...
, having like axis 6°25′07″ LS and 77°55′24″ LOG, according to the engineer Hernán Corbera. Access to Kuelap is gained through El Tingo
Tingo District
Tingo is a district of Luya Province in Peru. Tingo has several notable sites, such as the fortress of Kuelap.The regional public holidays of Tingo are on 8 and 9 September...
, a town at approximately 1800m altitude near the bank of the Utcubamba
Utcubamba River
The Utcubamba River is a river in the Amazonas Region of Peru, located at . The river's name is Quechua for "cotton fields".The Utcubamba River originates in the highlands of the central cordillera, then flows north through Amazonas before joining the Marañón River...
. A horse trail also winds along the left bank of Tingo river
Tingo river
Tingo River is located in the Cajamarca Region of Peru. It is classified as: Hydrographic...
and leads eventually up to Marcapampa, a small plain near the site.
The monumental ruins of Kuelap are situated at 3000 m above sea level. Judging from its sheer size, Kuelap's construction required considerable effort, rivalling or surpassing other archaeological structures in the Americas in size. The structure is almost 600 m in length and its walls rise up to 19 m in height.
There are multiple levels or platforms within the complex. Because of its extension, these flat elevations support about 400 constructions, most of them cylindrical
Cylinder (geometry)
A cylinder is one of the most basic curvilinear geometric shapes, the surface formed by the points at a fixed distance from a given line segment, the axis of the cylinder. The solid enclosed by this surface and by two planes perpendicular to the axis is also called a cylinder...
. From them, only bases remain. In some cases, there are decorated walls with friezes of symbolic content that, in general, seem to evoke eyes and birds that take the form of a letter V
V
V is the twenty-second letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet.-Letter:The letter V comes from the Semitic letter Waw, as do the modern letters F, U, W, and Y. See F for details....
in a chain. There are three structures that stand out from the hundreds of others within the complex:
- El TinteroEl TinteroEl Tintero is a place in Cuelap, Amazonas Region, Peru. It is placed in the south end of the biggest anden and it is characterized for being a circular turret in the shape of an inverted cone, a real challenge to the laws of gravity....
, it is placed in the south end of the biggest andenAndenAndenes are terraces dug into the slopes of mountains for agricultural purposes. They were constructed and much used in the Andes mountain range to provide cultivable hillsides...
and it is characterized for being a circular turretTurretIn architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
in the shape of an inverted coneCone (geometry)A cone is an n-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a base to a point called the apex or vertex. Formally, it is the solid figure formed by the locus of all straight line segments that join the apex to the base...
, a real challenge to the laws of gravityGravitationGravitation, or gravity, is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. Gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped...
.
- La AtalayaLa Atalaya, CuelapLa Atalaya is a place located in Cuelap, Amazonas Region, Peru. It is one of the architectural parts of this enormous monument. It is also shaped by a turret, and it is located in the north end of Cuélap....
, it is also shaped by a turret, and it is located in the north end of Kuelap.
- El Castillo, it is a construction that is located in the most conspicuous sector of Kuelap and it stands out on the top andenAndenAndenes are terraces dug into the slopes of mountains for agricultural purposes. They were constructed and much used in the Andes mountain range to provide cultivable hillsides...
.
The first level is accessed by three portals
Gate
A gate is a point of entry to a space enclosed by walls, or a moderately sized opening in a fence. Gates may prevent or control entry or exit, or they may be merely decorative. Other terms for gate include yett and port...
, two located on the east or principal frontage
Frontage
Frontage is the full length of a plot of land or a building measured alongside the road on to which the plot or building fronts. This is considered especially important for certain types of commercial and retail real estate, in applying zoning bylaws and property tax...
; the third one placed on the west.
The best preserved portal and probably the principal one, is located in the south side of the frontispiece
Frontispiece (architecture)
In architecture, a frontispiece is the combination of elements that frame and decorate the main, or front, door to a building. The term is especially used when the main entrance is the chief face of the building rather than being kept behind columns or a portico. Early German churches often...
. It is 3 m wide at its base and is flanked by high walls, resembling an alleyway. It narrows sharply as it rises, culminating into a space large enough for one person to enter (forming the shape of a pie slice). Scholars believe this was defensive in nature; it has also been speculated that this formation symbolizes an immense vulva
Vulva
The vulva consists of the external genital organs of the female mammal. This article deals with the vulva of the human being, although the structures are similar for other mammals....
. Archaeologists excavated the gateway in 2005/2006 and uncovered a tomb and various designs carved into the blockwork including snakes and heads.
There are other aspects which merit consideration: the colossal construction of Kuelap and the engineering required to provide a sophisticated system of rainwater drainage
Drainage
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...
. At present, because its pipelines are obstructed, the monument has been swelling up. After the big platform
Platform (geology)
In geology, a platform is a continental area covered by relatively flat or gently tilted, mainly sedimentary strata, which overlie a basement of consolidated igneous or metamorphic rocks of an earlier deformation...
is being dilated this way, the wall stones that provide part of the structure are becoming detached. It has not also been clarified how the water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
was carried out; perhaps some of the enclosures that lacked access have served as places where water was reserved. The other enclosures, most of them, should have been food storehouses like the tambos of the Incas
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
, shaping a considerable conglomerate of granaries
Granary
A granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. In ancient or primitive granaries, pottery is the most common use of storage in these buildings. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals.-Early origins:From ancient times grain...
.
Regarding the function that Kuelap had, there is not also a completely satisfactory response. Popularly it is qualified as "fortress
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
", because of its place and high walls that support its primary level. Adolf Bandelier
Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier
Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier was an American archaeologist after whom Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico, United States, is named....
and especially Louis Langlois tried to demonstrate that Kuelap, was more than a fortress
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
, it might have been a fortified place destined to serve as refuge to the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
in emergency situations. They attributed to it, probably by analogy, the same function as medieval European borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
s.
The high walls that veneered the platform and the tightness of the access to the citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
in its final stretch, suggest in effect, that the monument of Kuelap could be constructed for offering a defensive character, or at least, it should have been a place that was protected against intruders. But this possibility does not necessarily annul the others, perhaps of major transcendency.
This way, taking into consideration the function served by the monumental architecture in the Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian archaeological past in general, the same one that was related to the socioeconomic needs, it can be concluded that Kuelap could be basically a pre-inca
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
. A powerful aristocracy
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
lived in it, whose primary mission was to administer food production and provide religious leadership.
Some time ago, diverse mausoleums were found by accident on the banks of a lagoon known as "Laguna de las Momias
Laguna de las Momias
Laguna de las Momias , also known as Laguna de los Cóndores is an archaeological site located in Leimebamba in the Amazonas Region of Peru, excavated by the archaeologist Federico Kauffmann Doig....
" (Mummies' lagoon), located in an inaccessible and uninhabited place of the district of Leimebamba
Leimebamba District
Leimebamba is a district of the province of Chachapoyas. It is located in the northern Peruvian department of Amazonas, in the valley of the Utcubamba River, about 60 kilometers south of Chachapoyas. Leimebamba is at approximately 2,000 meters above sea level, and the area is warm with a lush...
in the province of Chachapoyas. The first exploratory expedition integrated by archaeologists
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
was directed by Federico Kauffmann Doig
Federico Kauffmann Doig
-Early life:Kauffmann Doig was born in Chiclayo, but his childhood and infancy passed in small localities of Cajamarca and Amazonas, particularly in Cocochillo on the margin right hand of the River Marañon...
, in May-June, 1997. Five mausoleums, that were protected by a cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
that presents rock paintings
Rock art
Rock art is a term used in archaeology for any human-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:*Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces*Pictographs - rock and cave paintings...
, were replete with funeral bundle
Funeral bundle
A funeral bundle is a method of enclosing a corpse before burial, practiced by the Paracas culture of the Peruvian Andes. The well-preserved funeral bundles of the Paracas have allowed archaeologists to study their funeral rituals in detail....
s, objects of ceramics
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, quipu
Quipu
Quipus or khipus were recording devices used in the Inca Empire and its predecessor societies in the Andean region. A quipu usually consisted of colored, spun, and plied thread or strings from llama or alpaca hair. It could also be made of cotton cords...
s, etc., attributable to the Chachapoyas culture
Chachapoyas culture
The Chachapoyas, also called the Warriors of the Clouds, were an Andean people living in the cloud forests of the Amazonas region of present-day Peru. The Incas conquered their civilization shortly before the arrival of the Spanish in Peru. When the Spanish arrived in Peru in the 16th century, the...
.
The graves
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
began to be plundered by stockbreeders
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
who sighted them when they were walking around the area of the lagoon. When they realized that the mummies
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
were not presenting any jewelry
Jewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
nor any other adornments
Beauty
Beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, sociology, social psychology, and culture...
of precious metal
Precious metal
A precious metal is a rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical element of high economic value.Chemically, the precious metals are less reactive than most elements, have high lustre, are softer or more ductile, and have higher melting points than other metals...
s desisted from pillaging them; this way, about thirty funeral bundle
Funeral bundle
A funeral bundle is a method of enclosing a corpse before burial, practiced by the Paracas culture of the Peruvian Andes. The well-preserved funeral bundles of the Paracas have allowed archaeologists to study their funeral rituals in detail....
s have been saved from the plundering. Such discovery would allow the archaeologists to continue their works to establish new bases of knowledge.
More recently, in July 2010, remains of 79 human bodies dating back to the seventh century were found inside a stone wall believed to have been a secondary grave site, meaning the remains had been removed from their original place, which was a widespread custom in pre-Columbian Peru. Most bone remains found are of adults.