Archaeologists in Peru find 3,000 year-old mummy in Lima

Peruvian archaeologists have discovered an approximately 3,000-year-old mummy in Lima, they said on Wednesday, the latest discovery in the Andean nation dating to pre-Hispanic times.

Students from San Marcos University and researchers initially found remains of the mummy’s hair and skull in a cotton bundle during excavation, before uncovering the rest of the mummy.

An archaeologist works at the excavation site of a pre-Hispanic burial next to a mummy believed to be from the Manchay culture, which developed in the valleys of Lima between 1,500 and 1,000 BCE, in Lima, Peru, June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Anthony Marina

The mummy was probably from the Manchay culture, which developed in the valleys of Lima between 1500 and 1000 BC, archaeologist Miguel Aguilar said, and was associated with the construction of temples built in a U-shape that pointed toward the sunrise.

The person “had been left or offered (as a sacrifice) during the last phase of the construction of this temple,” Aguilar said. “It is approximately 3,000 years old.”

People stand near the excavation site of a pre-Hispanic burial with a mummy, believed to be from the Manchay culture which developed in the valleys of Lima between 1,500 and 1,000 BCE, in Lima, Peru. REUTERS/Alfredo Galarza

Archeologists unearthed other items buried with the body, including corn, coca leaves and seeds, which they believe may have been part of an offering. (Reuters)