Summary:
- This article discusses the discovery of pre-Inca cultural practices in Peru, where ancient people acquired parrots from the Amazon rainforest hundreds of miles away to use their colorful feathers to decorate the dead.
- Researchers analyzed the remains of parrots found in ancient burial sites and determined that the parrots were not local to the region, but were brought in from the Amazon, indicating a sophisticated trade network and cultural practices around the use of these exotic feathers.
- The findings provide insights into the complex social and cultural practices of these ancient Andean civilizations, including their ability to obtain resources from distant regions and their reverence for the natural world, as reflected in their use of parrot feathers to honor their dead.