Sarcophagi of Carajía
Spanish: Sarcófagos de Karajía | |
Sarcophagi of Karajía | |
Sarcophagi of Karajía Shown within Peru | |
Click on the map for a fullscreen view | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Region | Utcubamba Valley |
| Coordinates | 6°09′43″S 78°01′17″W / 6.16194°S 78.02139°W |
| Part of | Karajía Archaeological Monumental Zone |
| Height | 2,549 metres (8,363 ft) |
| History | |
| Periods | Late Intermediate Period |
| Cultures | Chachapoyas |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1985 |
| Archaeologists | Federico Kauffmann Doig |
| Ownership | Ministry of Culture (MINCUL) |
| Public access | yes |
The Sarcophagi of Karajía (Spanish: Sarcófagos de Karajía, or Carajía) are unusually large pre-Inca Chachapoyas culture sarcophagi at the Karajía Archaeological Monumental Zone in the Utcubamba Valley, located 18 km northwest of the city of Chachapoyas, Peru in Trita District, Luya Province, Amazonas Region. The site contains eight Chachapoyan mummies located on a cliffside, referred to by local residents as the “ancient wise men”.
The Chachapoya culture had the tradition of protecting their dead and located their sarcophagi in protected difficult to get to locations.
The Sarcophagi of Karajía are unique in their genre for their large size, up to 2.50 m high, for their careful making, and, for the fact that they were remained practically intact because of their location atop a ravine of difficult access.