Write us
#TierrasVivas 925

Revash mausoleums in Amazonas

Posted On: 16 May 2023 #TierrasVivas 925

What do these collective graves mean? Why did the Chachapoyas build them on the rocky wall of a steep ravine? And their colors? What do the drawings mean? Why do some tombs have a gabled roof, is it to protect them from the rain? 

Archaeologists say that these mausoleums are replicas of the houses where the inhabitants of the area lived. 

The truth is that the questions remain open and the only certainty is that getting to this inaccessible place at 2800 meters above sea level...is worth it! 

What to see and do in the Revash Mausoleums? 

Know the town. San Bartolo is a small but charming town whose humble log and mud houses remain intact despite the passing of the years. In its square there is a beautiful replica of the mausoleums and it is there where the guides are hired. 

Visit the Leymebamba Museum. Just over an hour away (43 km) is the Leymebamba Museum, a tourist place that exhibits more than 200 mummies rescued from another mausoleum in Amazonas, in the province of Chachapoyas. 

Go through the citadel of Kuelap. On the way to Yerbabuena or back to Chachapoyas and with a brief detour in Nuevo Tingo, you will arrive at the impressive citadel of Kuelap, another tourist attraction in the region. From Yerbabuena to Nuevo Tingo it is 30 km and from there to the stone fortress it is another thirty kilometers. 

To ride a horse. Up to 80 percent of the 2 km hike from the small town of San Bartolo can be done on horseback, making the ride comfortable and fun. 

Architecture of the Revash Mausoleums

According to Federico Kauffmann Doig, a famous Peruvian anthropologist, archaeologist and historian, the Revash Mausoleums are a replica of the houses used by the ancient Chachapoyas. This is a theory that is reinforced when we stop to look at its architecture and see a miniature town. 

Among the architectural characteristics of this necropolis, it can be highlighted that they are constructions with gabled roofs and rectangular T- and cross-shaped windows. These buildings do not have a frontal access, since their entrance was made from the sides. 

Another fact to highlight is that the Revash Mausoleums present striking cave paintings on their walls. These paintings are in the shape of flames, circles and ceremonial symbols, very difficult to identify, mainly highlighting the use of the color red. 

Although there are several theories about the reason for its construction on a cliff, the most prominent mentions that the dead were buried in this place as an offering to the APUS. These are the mountains, the same ones that were considered as divinities that they had to venerate and respect.

Tourism in Revash Archaeological Complex (Archaeology)

The Revash Archaeological Complex is located in the district of Santo Tomás, in the Province of Luya, in the department of Amazonas, about 60 kilometers south of the city of Chachapoyas, at 2,800 meters above sea level, in the Carbon hill. 

This Complex is proof of what the Chachapoyas culture left in its time and dates from the years 1100 to 1300 AD. C and are together a group of funeral homes that occupy an area of 200 m2. 

The Chachapoyas are characterized at an architectural level by locating their buildings in areas of difficult access, both in their fortresses and their cemeteries, Revash is no exception and to get to this place the traveler must walk approximately one hour from the town of Santo Tomas towards the Complex and from there just to be able to only observe the constructions that are settled on the slope of a ravine. 

The constructions that you will observe have the shape of small rectangular houses made of stones joined by mortar, these are aligned and embedded in a narrow cavity that has been excavated in the rock. These buildings, when used for funerary purposes, give the impression of being a city of the dead, but for anyone except those who would have belonged to power groups of this culture while alive. 

The houses of the dead, which are called chullpas, are between one, two and three floors and have a roof that is inclined, supported by reed sticks and under the protection of the rock in which it is coupled in such a way. that once sealed they could not be accessed again and thus preserve the bodies of the mummies left inside, although hidden side accesses have been found that allowed the connection between them. 

These chullpas are painted red and white and have protruding cornices along with quadrangular, cross-shaped or T-shaped niches. On the façade you can also see various drawings of animals and also of people that can be seen as part of the rock art and which are painted ocher. Along with this, there are also evident decorations with geometric motifs that the Chachapoyas used to symbolize their deities. 

In the discovery of this construction, remains of ropes, ceramics, bones, nets, necklaces were found, among other things that seem to show the offerings that these Chachapoyas men made to their dead. 

How to get to the Revash Mausoleums? 

You must take a bus from the bus terminal of Chachapoyas to the town of San Bartolo, district of Santo Tomás, a trip of 89 kilometers and 3 hours on the way. From there it will be 2 km (20 minutes) walking to reach the sacred tombs. 

It can also be reached from the town of Yerbabuena, 72 km (2 hours 26 minutes by bus) from Chachapoyas. From there it is 3 km and almost two hours on foot because it is the steepest and longest path.

Hike from Hierba Buena 

This is a trip that begins in Hierba Buena, 2 hours from Chachapoyas, the capital of Amazonas. From this point, an ascending and steep path begins towards the mausoleums. Although this route is not easy at all, along the way you will have the opportunity to discover impressive natural landscapes. This path takes about an hour and a half to walk. 

Hike from San Bartolo

The other alternative, and the most recommended, is to continue traveling by truck to the town of San Bartolo, 30 minutes from Hierba Buena. From this picturesque village, you set out on a 5km hike through the mountains to reach Revash. 

A fact to highlight about the inhabitants of the town of San Bartolo is how aware they are about the fragility and what the Revash Mausoleums represent. It is for this reason that they are in constant communication with travelers to let them know what they cannot do during their visit. In addition, they keep the path and the archaeological remains in a great state of conservation.

Recommendations

  • Go from San Bartolo. The path from San Bartolo is shorter, less steep and better laid out.
  • Go early on a Sunday. The best day to visit the mausoleums is Sunday, as this is the day with the largest number of combis both to make the San Bartolo-Yerbabuena route (return), and to return directly to Chachapoyas from San Bartolo.
  • Return to San Bartolo at noon. After noon there are less chances of getting minivans to return to Chachapoyas or Yerbabuena, so you must return from the mausoleums at 12 or before.
  • Bring binoculars. The walk ends 5 meters from the mausoleums, an insufficient distance to see them in detail. For a better experience, bring binoculars.
  • Not suitable for people with a phobia of heights. The archaeological remains are going up a narrow, high and long path next to a rock wall and on the other side, a ravine. It is not suitable for people with acrophobia.
  • Bring trekking shoes. The walk to the vestiges has rough and uncomfortable ups and downs, which will be easier to walk with trekking shoes. Do not forget water, snacks and sun protection.

Best Tours in Peru

Many are the routes that take you to Machu Picchu, but none is like the Inca Trail tours, the most famous pedestrian path in the Americas. After flying from the capital of Peru, Lima, you will arrive in Cusco to walk for four days along a path through forests and dense fog, millenary stone steps and discovering the ruins of ancient fortifications and Inca cities, and all the time enjoying majestic views. 

If you want to visit Machu Picchu, we recommend you to book your Machu Picchu ticket in advance, so you will enjoy your vacation in Machu Picchu without any problem. 

Edwin Caviedes Profesional guide

Edwin Caviedes is the founder and manager of Tierras Vivas, a company that benefits native people communities.