Los Pinchudos Funerary Monument

Los Pinchudos is a funerary monument of the Chachapoya culture in the cloud mountains in the Rio Abiseo National Park in Peru. To reach the site from inhabited areas one has to travel one day by plane, two days on mules, three days on foot and then climb up to 3'000 meter above sea level. After reaching the site on a very steep cliff, Heinz Plenge waited 15 hours for the right sunset light conditions to take the picture. The combination of colours aims to express the Chachapoya cosmovistion showing the transition of living beings from the moment of death (purple of the rock) to the condition of spiritual eternity (blue of the sky). The body (dark brown mummy) inhabiting an eternal house is a reminder of the cycle of life (orange of the chamber).