According to a research team led by British anthropologist Russell Dement, strikingly tall skeletons uncovered in the Amazon region of Ecuador and Peru are undergoing examination in Germany. Will these remains prove that a race of tall people existed deep in the Amazon rainforest hundreds of years ago?

A half dozen human skeletons from the early 1400s to mid-1500s were confirmed to have been discovered, varying from 7 feet and 8 feet (213 to 243 centimeters) in height.

Dement told Cuenca Highlife: “We are very early in our research and I am only able to provide a general overview of what we have found. I don’t want to make claims based on speculation since our work is ongoing. Because of the size of the skeletons, this has both anthropological and medical implications.” 

A file photo of a skeleton. 

In late 2013, Dement received word that a skeleton had been uncovered by a Shuar local, approximately 70 miles (112 kilometers) from Cuenca, in Loja Province, Ecuador. Dement traveled to the site and recovered the rib cage and skull of a female which had been exposed by flooding.

The bones were thought to date to 600 years ago. The rest of the skeleton was located and, once assembled, reportedly measured 7 feet and 4 inches (223.5 centimeters) in height.

This prompted the formation of a research team including four researchers from Freie Universität in Germany, and the assistance of Shuar locals. Funding was provided by the university for excavation and investigation.

Because of the sensational nature of this, we have to be extremely diligent in our research.
— RUSSELL DEMENT

Recognizing it is a controversial area of research, Dement noted “Even though I had been working with Freie for many years, I was concerned that they might not give a grant for someone looking for giants. To outsiders, especially scientists, I understand this sounds a little hair-brained.

“Because of the sensational nature of this, we have to be extremely diligent in our research since it will be met with a great deal of skepticism,” he said.

Three complete skeletons and two partial skeletons had no disfiguration and they were relatively healthy.

Dement told Cuenca Highlife: “The skeletons show no signs of diseases such as the hormonal growth problems that are common in most cases of gigantism.

In all the skeletons, the joints seemed healthy and the lung cavity appeared large. One of the skeletons that we have dated was of a female who was about 60 when she died, much older than typical cases of gigantism.” 

The burials were elaborate. Bodies were wrapped in leaves and buried in thick clay. This sealed the skeletons and protected against water intrusion, leaving the remains in fairly good condition.

Legends Come to Life

Carlos Miguel Vaca Alvarado, of the parish of the town of Changaiminas, Ecuador, was all his life interested in archaeology, and this motivated him to discover a group of numerous giant human skeletons.

The bones were about 7 meters high and have been discovered in the mountains of the Amazon area. The seven fragments of the skeleton were carefully analyzed by many experts who reached the conclusion that those bones were part of a human skeleton seven times bigger than a modern human being.

Legends say that this region was known as the “cemetery of the gods”, sine in ancient times this region was inhabited by giants. Many experts affirm that this place is the lost city of the giants since many pyramids were discovered there, and their size reached 80 meters high and 80 meters wide.

Moreover, around those pyramids were found numerous objects which were found there which probably were used for mining. Experts believe that this place belonged to an unknown mysterious pre-Inca culture.