The Chachapoyas culture was a pre-Hispanic civilization that developed in the cloud forests of the Amazon region of Peru. Members of this culture are also known as "warriors from the clouds."
The center around which this civilization developed was the valley formed by the Utcubamba River. Later they extended towards the valley formed by the Abiseo river (south of Utcubamba).
The Chachapoyas culture was organized in approximately the 8th century. It reached its peak period in the 11th century when they extended their territory to some 400 kilometers in length. The arrival of the Spanish marked the end of this civilization.
It should be noted that by 1470 the Chachapoyas were no longer independent, but belonged to the Inca Empire.
They stood out in the manufacture of fabrics from plant and animal fibers. They are also recognized for their murals and for their figures carved in stone.
Etymology
The term chachapoyas has been translated in different ways over the years. If the Aymara language is taken into account, it can be established that "chacha" refers to people and that "phuyas" is translated as clouds, so chachapoyas would be "people of the clouds."
In Quechua, "sacha" means tree, while "puyas" refers to clouds. Thus, the term could be translated as "trees of the clouds."
Other people have offered alternative translations. For example, Garcilaso de la Vega points out in his texts that the term means "place of strong men."
For his part, the anthropologist Peter Thomas Lerche offers two translations: "people from the cloud forest" or "warriors from the clouds."
Location
The Chachapoyas culture developed in the northern regions of the Andes of Peru. They occupied the triangular region formed by three rivers: the Marañón, the Utcubamba and the Abiseo.
In their heyday they also occupied the valleys to the south of the Amazon region, formed by the Chuntayaku River.
Regarding the extension of the territory of this civilization, the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega indicated that it could easily be considered a kingdom, since it exceeded 50 leagues in length and 20 leagues in width.
They settled on the foothills of the Andes mountains, on the east face of the rock formation. They were located between 2000 and 3000 meters above sea level. This area was always covered by mist, hence the name "people of the clouds."
History
The Chachapoyas culture began to develop in the 8th century. There is evidence that the territory had been populated since 200 BC
However, it has not been possible to determine whether these settlers were a species of pre-Chachapoyas or belonged to another civilization of which there are no records.
Chachapoyas society reached its peak in the 11th century, a period in which agriculture, architecture, and the textile industry flourished.
Despite the fact that this civilization had fortifications and other structures of a military nature, in 1475 they were conquered by the Incas.
The victory of the Incas was due in large part to the fact that the Chachapoyas had dispersed after the 12th century.
Although the conquest was rapid, the Chachapoyas people were not satisfied with the mandate of the Inca Empire and rebelled repeatedly.
To solve this problem, the Inca rulers separated the Chachapoyas in different parts of the territory, so that their resistance did not represent a threat to the Empire.
The consequence of the hostilities between the Chachapoyas and the Incas was that, when the Europeans arrived, many Chachapoyas supported the Spanish and fought in their favor.
However, the intervention of the Spanish did nothing more than reduce the population that had already been reduced by the Inca conquest.
200 years after the discovery of America, more than 90% of the Chachapoya population had disappeared.
Economy
One of the main economic activities was agriculture. This was favored by the fact that the slopes of the Andean mountains were very fertile and watered by constant rains.
The main crops were potatoes, olluco, oca and mashua, tubers of great importance in the diet of the Chachapoyas. They also grew grains such as quinoa and kiwicha.
Due to the mountainous areas and the large size of the Marañón River, the Chachapoyas culture was basically isolated from other civilizations. For this reason, commerce was not a dominant activity in its economy.
Other economic activities developed by this culture were hunting, gathering, livestock and the textile industry.
Religion
Little is known about this religion since the remains that have been found are not conclusive in this regard.
In addition, with the conquest by the Incas and the imposition of this culture, many of the characteristics that defined the Chachapoyas were lost.
Garcilaso de la Vega's texts indicate that the Chachapoyas worshiped gods in the shape of animals, such as the condor and the serpent. However, there is no evidence to support this claim.
One of the few Chachapoya religious practices for which there is evidence is ancestor worship. This is observed in the different funeral constructions that have been found.
For example, clay sarcophagi were made, in which the bodies and some offerings dedicated to the ancestors were placed.
In the funeral architecture, the mausoleums, rectangular constructions of several levels, stand out. These could be individual or collective. These buildings were decorated with paintings made mostly in red.
Textile industry
Of all the pre-Columbian cultures, the Chachapoyas is one of the most outstanding in terms of tissue development.
In some archaeological sites, textile pieces have been found that demonstrate mastery of advanced techniques.
Ceramics
Chachapoyas pottery does not reach the level of the works of other pre-Columbian civilizations, such as the Mochica or the Nazca.
In general, simple vessels were made, with ornaments in paint or simple reliefs.
References
- Chachapoyas culture. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from perutoptours.com
- Chachapoya culture. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- Chachapoyas Culture of Peru. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from iletours.com
- Chachapoyas Warriors of the Clouds: A Visit to Two Burial Sites. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from anthropology.ua.edu
- Cloud Warriors: The Mysterious Power of the Lost Chachapoya Culture. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from ancient-origins.net
- The Chachapoyas Culture. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from scrib.com
- The Chachapoyas Culture of Peru. Retrieved on November 1, 2017, from crystalinks.com