Sarcophagi of Carajía

The Sarcophagi of Carajía (Spanish: Sarcófagos de Carajía, or Karajía) are unusually large pre-Inca Chachapoyas culture sarcophagi at the archaeological site of Carajía in the Utcubamba Valley, located 18 km northwest of the city of Chachapoyas, Peru in 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 Carajía 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.