La Joya and the Warriors of the Mist

Gr 7 Up—This documentary is a mélange of perspectives that create an archeological, cultural, and geographic context for burial sites of the indigenous Chachapoyas who lived in the Amazonas Region between 800 and 1500 ACE. The film crew follows two archeologists along the Urumbamba River System deep into the remote cloud forests of northern Peru as they search for and catalog chullpas—mummified funerary bundles and sarcophagi perched high above the riverbed on narrow inlets. The visual imagery is breathtaking, and the footage of Gocta Falls and The Lake of the Condors shows the pristine natural beauty of the area. While the directors interview some experts in the field and the mummification practices are explained in detail, it is clear that much about the Chachapoyas' daily life remains unknown, including how they functioned socially, established physical communities, and applied the practice of trepanning (boring holes) to healing. Aside from a clear analysis of how the dead were prepared, there is little synthesis of the various disciplines informing the production team. At times, the film's narrative also reflects the language of imperialism without providing a context for the potentially problematic terms and phrasing used. With the appropriate framing, the documentary would be a unique addition to ancient history, Latin American history, or archeology programs at the upper-middle school through community college level.—Vincent M. Livoti, University of Maine at Augusta