Revash, Pre-Columbian burial site in Santo Tomás Valley, Peru.

Revash is a Chachapoyas necropolis of collective tombs set in natural and excavated cavities in the rock wall of Cerro Carbón, at 2,800 m in the Alto Utcubamba valley. The funeral houses have rectangular floors, one or two storeys, side doors instead of front doors, and back walls open to the rock. Their walls of stone on mud mortar are painted red and cream, with mouldings showing felines, camelids, people and two-colour circles.

The Chachapoyas civilization built these elaborate funeral structures during the 14th century to house mummified remains of their social elite in multiple chambers. The site reflects a long tradition of monumental burials within this mountain region.

The mausoleums display Chachapoyas building traditions through their house-shaped facades decorated with red and white geometric patterns and animal motifs. These designs reveal how the civilization marked the status and importance of those buried within.

Reaching the site requires good fitness and sturdy shoes, as the terrain is steep with rocky paths and stone stairs. Bring plenty of water and sun protection, and plan to start early to complete the visit before dark.

The sloping roofs of the Revash mausoleums are purely symbolic: sheltered by the cave, they never had to withstand rain or sun. Builders shaped them from mud cake supported by sticks and reeds in the quincha technique, imitating the houses of the living.