Next to the practice field of a professional soccer club in Peru’s capital, archaeologists stumbled upon a new find, a pre-Hispanic mummy surrounded by coca leaves.
Miguel Aguilar, a professor of archaeology at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, spoke with Reuters about the find, noting that the person was buried in what appeared to be a ritual that included coca leaves, which produces the psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine, and seashells.
Not much is known about the mummy and why it was buried, but old fly eggs were found next to the remains, leading archaeologists to believe that the body was exposed for at least several days before being covered by dirt.
Aguilar also noted that the person whose remains were discovered had “been left or offered (as a sacrifice) during the last phase of the construction of this temple.”
The remains are believed to be “approximately 3,000 years old,” Aguilar shared.
The Associated Press reported that the skeleton had long black hair and was face up with its lower extremities tied with a rope braided from vines of vegetable origin. The burial site was on top of a destroyed U-shaped clay temple.
Aguilar shared that while they believe the mummy to be around 3,000 years old, it has not been properly tested to confirm its exact age.
The remains, which belonged to a male, were found in Rímac, and researchers are continuing to try and find out more about the mummy.
While the remains were found next to the training field and headquarters for the Sporting Cristal soccer club, the find is not uncommon, as researchers shared that mummies and other pre-Hispanic remains have been found in unusual places in the city before.
Audacy reported earlier this year about a man who police had found was living with a centuries-old mummy who he claimed was his “spiritual girlfriend.”
Police shared at the time that ancient remains are common throughout the country.
The Peruvian Culture Ministry released a statement on the situation, urging its people to assist “in the defense and protection of our precious heritage, communicating to us any finding or attack on movable or immovable cultural heritage.”
Related
Related
