Chachapoyan

Chachapoyan refers to the pre-Inca culture that inhabited the cloud forests of the northern Andes in what is now Peru. This civilization, often called the "Warriors of the Clouds," flourished from roughly the 9th to the 16th century CE. They were known for their impressive stone architecture, particularly their mountaintop fortresses and settlements, such as Kuélap. The Chachapoyan people were skilled agriculturalists, cultivating terraces on steep hillsides to grow crops like maize and potatoes. They also developed unique burial practices, often interring their dead in cliff-side mausoleums or caves.

The Chachapoyans were a distinct ethnic group with their own language, though little remains of it today. They resisted Inca expansion for many years before eventually being conquered by the Inca Empire in the late 15th century. Following the Spanish conquest, the Chachapoyan culture largely disappeared, assimilated into the colonial society. Today, their legacy is preserved through archaeological sites and ongoing research, offering insights into a complex and independent Andean civilization.