Lingaliro lakuti kale panali zitukuko zotayika zokhala ndi zimphona zazikulu zakhala zikudziwika kwambiri pakati pa anthu posachedwapa, makamaka chifukwa cha kuchuluka kwa intaneti. Kumbali ina, zaka makumi angapo zapitazo zisanachitike, anthu ambiri sanali kuidziŵa bwino nkhaniyi.
Peru ndi amodzi mwa mayiko omwe nkhani zakalezi zidalembedwa ndi olemba mbiri kapena kuperekedwa ku mibadwomibadwo, kuwonetsa "chachilendo" zimene atsamunda anaziwona zaka mazana ambiri zapitazo.
Pali dera lina lapadera pa dziko lathu lapansi lomwe lili ndi nthano zambiri komanso nthano zomwe zimakhazikika pa anthu odziwika bwino kwambiri. Kuphatikiza apo, nthanozi ndi zaka mazana ochepa chabe, osati masauzande.
Nkhani za zimphona za ku Peru zakhala zikudziwika kuyambira zaka za m'ma 16 pamene ogonjetsa oyambirira a ku Spain anafika m'derali. Mmodzi mwa malipoti oyambirira a zimphona za ku Peru ndi nkhani ya wogonjetsa Pedro Cieza de León, yomwe ikufotokozedwa m'bukuli. 'Ndemanga Zachifumu za Inca ndi Mbiri Yambiri ya Peru, Gawo Loyamba,' yolembedwa ndi wolemba waku Peru Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.
Zikuoneka kuti Pedro Cieza de León sanaonepo zimphonazo, koma anakambirana ndi amene anaonapo. M’lipoti lake, iye anafotokoza mmene m’mbuyomo, anthu aatali kwambiri ankayendera ngalawa zawo zazikulu kuchokera kumabango kupita kumtunda, kumene kunali kwawoko. Malo okhalamo kale anali pachilumba cha Santa Elena, chomwe tsopano ndi gawo la dera la Ecuador.
Zimphonazo zinatsika pamabwato pa chilumbachi ndipo zinakhazikitsa msasa wawo pafupi ndi ogonjetsawo. Zikuoneka kuti anaganiza zokhala kuno kwa nthawi yaitali, chifukwa nthawi yomweyo anayamba kukumba zitsime zakuya kuti atenge madzi.
Zotsatirazi zafotokozedwa m'ndime yotengedwa m'mawu akale: “Ena a iwo anali aatali kwambiri moti munthu wamba sangafike maondo ake. Miyendo yawo inali yofanana ndi thupi, koma mitu yawo ikuluikulu yokhala ndi tsitsi lalitali la m’mapewa inali yonyansa kwambiri. Maso awo anali aakulu ngati mbale ndipo nkhope zawo zinali zopanda ndevu. Ena aiwo adali atavala zikopa zanyama, koma ena adali m’makhalidwe awo (opanda zovala). Palibe mkazi ngakhale mmodzi amene anaoneka mwa iwo. Atamanga msasawo, anayamba kukumba zitsime zakuya kuti atunge madzi. Anazikumba m’nthaka yamiyala ndipo kenako anamanga maenje olimba a miyala. Madzi amene anali m’kati mwake anali abwino kwambiri, anali abwino nthaŵi zonse ndiponso abwino.”
Zimphonazo zitangokhazikitsa msasa wawo, nthawi yomweyo zidaukira mudzi wa anthu am'deralo. Malinga ndi zimene Cieza de León anafotokoza, anaba zonse zimene akanatha ndipo anadya zonse zimene akanatha kudya, kuphatikizapo anthu!
Zinali zochititsa mantha kwambiri pamene anthu okuluwikawa omwe ankalendewera m’mitengo ndipo anthu a m’mudzimo anawathawa ndi mantha chifukwa analibe mphamvu zodziteteza. Kenako, pamalo pamene panali mudzi wowonongedwawo, zimphonazo zinamanga misasa yawo ikuluikulu ndipo zinkakhala kuno kuti ziphe nsomba ndi kusaka m’nkhalango za kumeneko.
Nkhaniyi inafika kumapeto ndi chochitika chosaneneka kotheratu, chomwe chinakhudza a “Bright angel” kuwonekera kumwamba ndikuchotsa zimphona zonsezi.
Ngakhale zinali choncho, Cieza de León nayenso ankakhulupirira kuti nkhaniyi ndi yoona, ndipo ananena kuti iyeyo anaona zitsime za miyala zikuluzikulu zimene zimphonazo zinakumba. Iye analembanso kuti ogonjetsa ena anaona zitsime ndi mabwinja a nyumba zazikulu zimene anthu a m’derali analephera kumanga.
Kuphatikiza apo, Cieza de León amalemba za zinthu zochititsa chidwi kwambiri. Iye analemba kuti ogonjetsawo anapeza mafupa aakulu kwambiri a anthu m’derali, komanso zidutswa za mano zomwe zinali zazikulu ndi zolemetsa.
“Mu 1550, mu mzinda wa Lima, ndinamva kuti pamene Wolemekezeka Don Antonio de Mendoza, wachiŵiri kwa wolamulira wa New Spain, anali kuno, anapeza mafupa ena a anthu amene anali aakulu kwambiri ndipo angakhale a zimphona. Ndinamvanso kuti m'manda akale mumzinda wa Mexico kapena pafupi ndi manda a mafupa aakulu munali mafupa aakulu. Popeza anthu ambiri a m’derali amanena kuti anaziwonadi, tingaganize kuti zimphona zimenezi zilipodi ndipo n’zamtundu umodzi wokha.”
Umboni wina wosonyeza kukhalapo kwa zimphona zakale za ku Peru ukupezeka m’mabuku a Kaputeni Juan Olmos, amene mu 1543 anafukula maliro akale m’chigwa cha Trujillo ndipo amati anapeza mafupa a anthu a msinkhu waukulu kumeneko.
Mbiri ya Abambo Cristóbal de Acuña komwe amatchula kuti adawona zimphona 10 m'mwamba. Pambuyo pake, chigoba china chachikulu chinapezedwa m’chigawo cha Tucumán ndi wogonjetsa Agustín de Zárate ndi anthu ake. Nthawi zambiri, nkhani ngati zimenezi zimachokera kwa anthu a ku Spain amene anapita ku Peru m’zaka za m’ma 16 ndipo anapitiriza kuonekera m’zaka za m’ma 17.
