Appearance and origins Chachapoya culture

however, there no other account @ time other travelers region mentions particular whiteness of natives in chachapoya.these comments have led claims, not supported cieza de león s chronicle, chachapoyas blond-haired , european in appearance. chronicle s use of term white here predates emergence racial classification. spanish author, pedro pizarro, described indigenous peruvians white. although authors have quoted pizarro saying chachapoyas blond, these authors not quote him directly; instead quote remarks attributed him , others race scientist jacques de mahieu in support of thesis vikings had brought civilization americas. following on these claims, anthropologist inge schjellerup examined remains of chachapoyans , found them consistent other ancient peruvians. found, example, universal occurrence of shovel-shaped upper incisors , near-complete absence of cusp of carabelli on upper molars — characteristics consistent other indigneous peoples , inconsistent europeans.

sarcophagi of carajía. chachapoyas culture.

according analysis of chachapoyas objects made antisuyo expeditions of instituto de arqueología amazónica, chachapoyas not exhibit amazon cultural tradition 1 more closely resembling andean one. given terrain facilitates peripatric speciation, evidenced high biodiversity of andean region, physical attributes of chachapoyas reflecting founder effects, assortative mating, and/or related phenomena in small population sharing relatively recent common ancestor other indigenous groups.

the anthropomorphous sarcophagi resemble imitations of funeral bundles provided wooden masks typical of middle horizon , dominant culture on coast , highlands, known tiwanaku–wari culture. mausoleums may modified forms of chullpa or pucullo, elements of funeral architecture observed throughout andes, in tiwanaku , wari cultures.

population expansion amazonian andes seems have been driven desire expand agrarian land, evidenced extensive terracing throughout region. agricultural environments of both andes , coastal region, characterized extensive desert areas , limited soil suitable farming, became insufficient sustaining population ancestral peruvians, had grown 3000 years.

this theory has been described mountainization of rain forest both geographical , cultural reasons: first, after fall of tropical forests, scenery of amazonian andes changed resemble barren mountains of andes; second, people settled there brought andean culture them. phenomenon, still occurs today, repeated in southern amazonian andes during inca empire, projected mountainous zone of vilcabamba, raising examples of inca architecture such machu picchu.