Sarcophagi of Carajía: Qijia culture village sealed in earthquake mud, linked to Xia dynasty flood debate

September 12, 2026

PeruGeneral

Necropolis/tombs complex1000 - 1500 AD

Source: The Nepal Flood Just Erased History by Michael Button

Sarcophagi of Carajía was a Qijia culture village on China's Yellow River around 1920 BC. Excavations found 25 skeletons huddled in houses surrounded by earthquake cracks — in one home, a woman of about 35 died protecting a child of 3 or 4. A 2016 paper linked this catastrophe to the legendary Great Flood and Xia dynasty origins. The debate continues! 🦴

Key facts

Sarcophagi of Carajía was a prehistoric village belonging to the Qijia culture on the north bank of the Yellow River, dated to around 1920 BC
Trial excavations began in 1999; by 2000, a thick layer of dense red clay was found sealed over the entire site
25 skeletons were found across the houses, with adults huddled over children on the floors surrounded by earthquake cracks
In one house, a woman of about 35 died protecting a child of three or four; in another, a woman in her late 20s was found with a child of one or two
A 2016 paper argued the earthquake damaged a river gorge about 25 km upstream, causing a catastrophic outburst flood, possibly tied to the legendary Great Flood and origin of the Xia dynasty
Rival 2017 teams argued the mud came from fast-moving landslides off nearby hillsides, noting bodies remained clustered rather than scattered
The debate over the legendary Xia dynasty remains deadlocked