Book “Cultura Marañón: Archaeology of the Early Symbolism of Cacao in the Upper Amazon of Peru” by Quirino Olivera Núñez Is Presented

Jaén, Cajamarca. The Montegrande Archaeological Sanctuary was the setting, on September 19, 2026, for the presentation of the book Cultura Marañón: Arqueología del Simbolismo temprano del Cacao en la Alta Amazonía del Perú (Cultura Marañón: Archaeology of the Early Symbolism of Cacao in the Upper Amazon of Peru), a publication that brings together the results and reflections arising from more than 16 years of archaeological research in the Upper Peruvian Amazon.

The presentation ceremony took place at Huaca Montegrande, an archaeological site of particular importance in research on the ancient societies that inhabited this region. The event began with the ancestral sound of conch shells, creating a ceremonial atmosphere in which past and present came together around knowledge built through scientific research.

One of the central moments of the presentation occurred when a young Awajún woman emerged from inside the Great Spiral, holding a copy of the book in her hands. She was accompanied by young Awajún people and another young woman carrying cacao seeds.

This scene was a symbolic representation of the return of knowledge to its place of origin, from the land and memory of Montegrande to the present.

Cacao and the Memory of the Upper Amazon

Published by Yanapay Andina, the book by archaeologist Dr. Quirino Olivera Núñez, President of the Association for Scientific Research of the Amazon of Peru, seeks to contribute to knowledge about the ancient societies of the Upper Amazon and, particularly, to the understanding of the early symbolism associated with cacao.

Based on years of archaeological research, the book offers a perspective on the cultural complexity of the populations that inhabited this territory thousands of years ago and on the importance of elements, symbols, and practices within their social and ritual systems.

In this context, Montegrande constitutes a fundamental site for approaching an Amazonian history that for a long time remained little known outside the region.

The presentation of the book sought precisely to link scientific research with the living cultural memory of Amazonian peoples, incorporating the presence of young Awajún people as part of a ceremony that connected archaeological heritage with the contemporary communities and cultures of the Amazon.

A Presentation That Brought Together Science, Culture, and Territory

The presentation panel included comments from Dr. Luz Cuevas, PhD in Biomedical Sciences, who came from Puerto Rico; Iñigo Maneiro, Director of the Social and Cultural Affairs Area of the Peru–Ecuador Binational Plan; and Ulises Gamonal Guevara, manager of the Hermógenes Mejía Solf Museum in Jaén, as well as from its author, Dr. Quirino Olivera.

The presence of researchers, cultural managers, and representatives connected to the territory and to cacao reinforced the interdisciplinary nature of a publication that seeks to expand understanding of the history of the Upper Amazon through archaeology and dialogue with other areas of knowledge.

From Jaén, the history of the Upper Amazon once again seeks to occupy a central place in understanding Peru's past and the ancient civilizations that developed in this territory, as well as their impact and cultural heritage in present-day life.

*This book is printed in Spanish. If you would like to purchase a copy, please contact the publisher via WhatsApp at (+51) 953-899-005.

Fotos: Yvan Fernández, for Yanapay Andina