Between the 17th and early 20th centuries, religious leaders condemned as pagans fled persecution from both the State and the Church by hiding themselves in this difficult-to-access land and establishing their own communities. In 1900 an uprising led by Antonio Conselheiro against a government led army resulted in his death and the massacre of thousands at the now sacred site of Canudos – today a small village where one can still find on the dusty surface fragments of this battle.