The discoveries were significant from the beginning: the remains of approximately thirty individuals, representing one of the most substantial early-Holocene human assemblages then known from northern South America.

One skull survived in nearly complete condition — a rarity in outdoor sites where preservation is often fragmentary.

Additional excavation and collection work continued between 1987 and 2003.

The physical characteristics of the Checua individuals were noted by researchers.

José Vicente Rodríguez Cuenca, a physical anthropology expert and co-author of the 2025 genetics study, observed that the skulls from the site were more elongated in their proportions than those of populations associated with later periods on the same plateau.

This observation is archaeologically interesting, and it connects to broader discussions in physical anthropology about variation in skull morphology among ancient American populations.