Chachapoya culture

The Chachapoyas, also called the "Warriors of the Clouds", were a culture of the Andes living in the cloud forests of the southern part of the Department of Amazonas of present-day Peru. The Inca Empire conquered their civilization shortly before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. At the time of the arrival of the conquistadores, the Chachapoyas were one of the many nations ruled by the Incas, although their incorporation had been difficult due to their constant resistance to Inca troops.

Since the Incas and conquistadors were the principal sources of information on the Chachapoyas, little first-hand or contrasting knowledge of the Chachapoyas has been found. Writings by the major chroniclers of the time, such as Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, were based on fragmentary, second-hand accounts. Much of what is known about the Chachapoya culture is based on archaeological evidence from ruins, pottery, tombs, and other artifacts. Spanish chronicler Pedro Cieza de León noted that, after their annexation to the Inca Empire, they adopted customs imposed by the Cusco-based Inca. By the 18th century, the Chachapoyas had been devastated, but they remain a distinct strain within the indigenous peoples of modern Peru.

The poorly known Chachapoya language is thought by some to be related to the Cahuapanan languages.