The story: The Past Lives in our Present

Home in the Ancient Chachapoya City of Kuélap

A heap of ruins hidden by the Amazonian Forest: this is what Kuélap looked like until a few decades ago. This extraordinary archaeological site was known only to local deer hunters and a few scholars. However, little by little, the area was cleared of vegetation, and some buildings were rebuilt, resembling the ones that the Chachapoya people erected centuries ago at about 3000 meters above sea level.

Again, the intent behind this shot is to restore life to archaeological heritage, a recurring motif in Heinz Plenge’s photography. In fact, these monuments are not only archaeological, but also historical, because the people who built and inhabited them are the same who still live a few kilometers away, and – as Adine Gavazzi tells us – are still alive.

Hence, this Chachapoya building has come back to life thanks to a local family, who is grateful for Heinz Plenge’s effort to unite archaeological heritage with the people to whom it belongs.