Purpose / Function
Chullpas are dedicated funerary towers originally constructed for noble families across the banks of the Mountain River and the Silver Mountains.
Design
Construction varies with the ethnic group: in general, the Dhani of the north construct circular towers of stone, while the Smoggy Cloud Clan of the south are broad, rectangular and made with adobe.
Entries
Openings to such tombs all face the rising sun. This includes chullpas worthy of unique names:
Innoit Murata
Jach'a Phasa
Kuntur Amaya
Kunturmarka
Kutimpu
Markahirka
Ninamarka
Qulu Qulu
Uskallaqta
Wanqaran
Wich'un
Chullpas are frequently built atop tolas, so are connected to culuncos: the network of roads dug into the jungle floor and hidden amidst the vegetation.
Denizens
Keepers
A caretaker or watch person who lives close to, or on-site, of the chullpa. He is responsible for maintaining the grounds and guarding the building from thieves and delinquents.Valuables
Corpse
Corpses in each tomb are typically placed in a fetal position along with some of their belongings such as clothing and common equipment they used in life.Special Properties
Acoustic Properties
The smaller towers can act as vibratory devices that amplify speech spoken inside. Inversely, the cavernous space serves as a giant eardrum to make hearing those outside easier.Alterations
Keepers' Home
These are usually an unadorned attachment on the roof or at a side entrance where the person maintaining the structure lives.Tolas
Tolas are piles of fertile dirt that were used as artificial farmland converted into the chullpas' foundation base. There are hundreds of them scattered throughout the Four Corners.Architecture
There are two types of chullpas:
Communal
A huge blocky building, 40 feet tall, where a majority of bodies are deposited in catacombs decorated with frescos, sculptures and gold glass medallions.Familial
Smaller single towers made of ringing rocks, clay insulation and basalt shells that are wider at the top than at the bottom.
Alternative Names
Funerary Tower
Type
Tomb
Parent Location
Connected Rooms
Related Ethnicities
Owning Organization
Comments