80 skeletons discovered Warriors of the Clouds

Peruvian archaeologists have discovered 80 skeletons of "cloud warriors" in a fortress in the Peruvian Andes.

These skeletal remains show a quick death because the bodies have been discovered dead where they fell, without burial, said archaeologist Alfredo Narvaez.

These bodies were found in the fortress Kuelap, a fortification of the Chachapoyas, a culture dubbed "cloud warriors" because they lived between ages 9 and 15 BC, in the cloud forest give the Amazon rainforest.  

"These days we have discovered the bones of at least 80 people," said Narvaez. The bodies belonged to people of all sexes and ages, and were discovered along with everyday utensils.

"We have seen the bodies lying together, dispersed and in positions that seem than when they died," said Narvaez. According to archaeologists believe they all died very quickly, without time to bury their dead, where they were killed, with things every day, and no evidence of burial ceremonies.

Future studies will tell whether they died violently, or by an epidemic due to the presence of the Spanish.

Narvaez had unveiled the discovery last week, saying they were 40 mummies were found, but the account has gone up since then, and we now know that none of the bodies were mummified.

"There is no mummies but the bodies were found inside the houses and was also near a cluster of houses located near the main temple of the fort, formerly known as Inkwell," Narvaez said.

The Chachapoyas are known to be a very fierce fighters, which were kept off the Inca rule by force, in fortresses such as Kuelap, until 1470 when they were finally conquered by the Inca empire.

This finding, which appears to be a box of time, allowing the Chachapoyas see how they lived really help you understand a little-known culture.

Source: National Geographic