A group of hikers in Peru was exploring a mountainous area when they came across a piece of ancient history. Nestled deep within a wall of rock stood six towering figures, measuring in at about 2.5 meters tall. The situation was very reminiscent to an Indiana Jones movie.
At first glance the hikers believed that their discovery consisted of statues and yet found out that there is a much more interesting truth; they were sarcophagi. Each sarcophagus encases the body of an ancient individual.
They are approximately 600 years old and were first found in 1984 by an archaeologist named Federico Kauffmann. He determined that there were originally 8 sarcophagi but over time two crumbled under the elements.
Local Peruvians have nicknamed the sarcophagi “Purunmachos”. They believe that these ancients markers were wise men to the people. Each sarcophagi is adorned with skulls, horns, and other items left to pay homage. For many hundreds of years the sarcophagi have been kept safely tucked away in the Luya Province which is located in an area called “Karajia”.
The remote area is 60 kilometers from the closest city of Chachapoyas. Modern developments have yet to reach the location of the sarcophagi. In the event that the human population spreads to this mountainous area surely the historical site will remain intact and protected.
