Ancient burial site packed with treasures plus 38 bodies discovered after centuries
Peru's Ministry of Culture announced the discovery earlier this fall, saying the nearly intact Chimú burial site had remained hidden for over six centuries.
Key points
- Archaeologists in Peru have uncovered a 600-year-old burial complex holding 38 bodies — including one skeleton whose unusual position has raised questions about the possibility of human sacrifice.
- Researchers will first take hundreds of photographs to create a detailed 3D model of the burial site before carefully removing the remains and artifacts by hand.
- The graves were discovered at Chan Chan, an ancient pre-Incan city near Trujillo, Peru, roughly 350 miles north of Lima.
7,000-YEAR-OLD BONES UNCOVERED AT CONSTRUCTION SITE IN STARTLING FIND One skeleton stood out because it was buried fully extended, unlike typical Chimú burials, in which bodies were placed in bent or seated positions.
Additional details
- COLOSSAL TOMB TIED TO ALEXANDER THE GREAT REVEALED BY OFFICIALS: 'UNIQUE AND MAGNIFICENT' Images shared with Fox News Digital by officials at the Ministry of Culture show an assortment of ancient ceramic vessels, including decorated jugs and pottery with sculpted figures.
- Jorge Meneses, an archaeologist with Peru's Ministry of Culture, said in a statement that the discovery offers a rare opportunity to study ancient Chimú burials that have remained largely undisturbed.
- "Because the skeletal and organic remains are extremely fragile after centuries of deterioration caused by time and coastal humidity, scientific protocols require that no evidence be removed without first conducting a thorough examination and documentation of its original context," the statement said.
- The burial complex contained three chambers, including a central chamber holding one individual surrounded by artifacts made from shell and metal, according to the Ministry of Culture.
- Last summer, utility workers digging a natural gas line in Lima, Peru, discovered a well-preserved, 1,000-year-old female mummy buried just 20 inches below the surface.
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