It looks scary at first glance – a mummy tied with ropes. However, researchers are enthusiastic and speak of a unique find.
Lima – Archaeologists discovered a mummy during excavations in Peru. It is extremely well preserved and is at least 800 years old. The sight of the preserved human remains is irritating. The body was tied with ropes in a crouching “fetal” position and the hands were fixed in front of the face.
The mummy was in a burial chamber under a market square of the archaeological site Cajamarquilla (24 kilometers east of the capital Lima). The mummy is believed to be an 18 to 22 year old man, said senior archaeologist Pieter Van Dalen Luna of the University of San Marcos on CNN. The man had come from the mountains to Cajamarquilla, a formerly flourishing trading center in the pre-Columbian era.
Peru: Mummy older than Inca civilization
It is an “unusual” and “unique” find. Because the mummy was probably buried between 800 and 1200 AD, said Van Dalen Luna. This means that the mummy dates from before the Inca civilization in Peru, which is famous for the construction of Machu Piccu (15th century). Settlers from the coasts and mountains are said to have lived in this area as early as the late pre-Hispanic times.
“The discovery of this inhabitant throws new light on the customs and social relationships of the pre-Hispanic times,” says project manager Pieter Van Dalen Luna on CNN. However, the researchers have a simple explanation for the fact that the mummy is tied with ropes: It is a southern Peruvian burial custom and would show that the deceased lives in the highlands.
800 year old mummy – guinea pigs as an offering in the grave
In addition to the mummy, the archaeologists discovered the skeleton of a guinea pig and probably a dog, as the researchers from the University of San Marcos further announced. Traces of corn and other vegetables were also found in the burial chamber.
The buried Peruvian was apparently mourned by family and friends for years. The researchers found llama bones outside the grave. At that time people often ate llama meat and offered it to the deceased. Mussels were also found.
“After the body was placed in the grave, there were constant events and activities here,” explains Van Dalen Luna. “That means that his descendants kept coming back for many years, laying down food and offerings, including mussels.”
Since the man was buried so centrally in Cajamarquilla, the archaeologists assume that the person had a high status. It could have been a reputable dealer.
Peru: Researchers want to decipher the mummy’s secret
In order to decipher the secret of the mummy, further analyzes should now follow. Carbon dating should provide more information about the age of the mummy and thus also about the dead. Cajamarquilla was a large settlement with 10,000 to 20,000 inhabitants, said Van Dalen. The city was built around 200 BC and was inhabited until around 1500. Several mummies have already been found in Peru and neighboring Chile, many of which are over 1000 years old. (ml / afp)
