Gas workers in Peru stumble across 1,000-year-old mummy: See photos
The mummified remains were discovered not even two feet beneath the Earth's surface in Peru's capital of Lima. reported the Associated Press. Workers for the gas company Cálidda initially unearthed a makeshift tomb maker fashioned from the trunk of a huarango tree in June, under which a child-sized body was found sitting upright, wrapped in cloth and surrounded by ceramics, rope and food items.
Archaeologists believe the well-preserved remains belonged to an adolescent, aged between 10 and 15 years old, of the pre-Inca Chancay culture, Cálidda said in a Facebook post. Dark hair and pieces of skin were still attached to the body, which Jesus Bahamonde, archaeologist and scientific coordinator for Cálidda, told AP and the Agence France-Presse was likely buried between 1000 and 1200 CE.
Because discoveries of this nature are common in Peru, utility companies are generally required to have archaeologists on staff to oversee digs.
"Great stories aren't just told: they're lived, discovered, and shared," Bahamonde said in a LinkedIn post, translated from Spanish, about the discovery. "This is a new story added to the more than 2,200 archaeological remains discovered along our path. Millennia-old testimonies that lie beneath our streets, waiting to be interpreted with respect and returned to the collective memory."
The Chancay culture flourished from around 1000 to 1470 CE, before later being absorbed into the Inca Empire, according to the University of Missouri's Museum of Art and Archaeology. The coastal Chancay civilization is recognized by archaeologists for its people's accomplishments in producing distinct ceramics and textiles.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: See photos of 1,000-year-old-mummy discovered in Peru
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Funding secures Iron Age Melsonby Hoard for the nation
A groundbreaking discovery of Iron Age artefacts found by a metal detectorist has been saved for the UK. The Yorkshire Museum has received £192,096 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, along with public donations, to acquire the Melsonby Hoard, which dates back 2,000 years. Discovered in a farmer's field near the North Yorkshire village in 2021, the site gave up more than 800 Iron Age artefacts including chariot wheels, cauldrons and horse bridles. The variety of objects led archaeologists to make important breakthroughs in their understanding of Iron Age society, including how power and wealth were not exclusively held in the South. Detectorist Peter Heads made the find and reported it to the proper authorities, and a team of Durham University archaeologists, with advice from the British Museum, took great care to excavate the hoard from two ditches. Thanks to the National Memorial Fund, a public crowdfunder and other donations, the find has been secured by the Yorkshire Museum, based in York. This will allow more research, conservation and analytical work to be carried out. Kathryn Blacker, chief executive of York Museums Trust, said: 'Thanks to the incredible support of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, as well as generous donations from members of the public, the hoard will remain here in Yorkshire, to be made available for everyone to see and to enjoy. 'We remain committed to researching and conserving these unprecedented finds to improve our understanding of our shared past and securing them for future generations.' Simon Thurley, chairman of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, said: 'The Melsonby Hoard throws bright new light on Iron Age life in Yorkshire and beyond. 'We are pleased to support this acquisition which will keep the hoard intact, in the county in which it was buried and enable research to take place to gain a deeper insight into its origin and history. 'The memorial fund exists to save the UK's most outstanding heritage and make it publicly accessible, in memory of those who have given their lives for the UK. 'We are delighted to count the Melsonby Hoard as part of the growing and timeless collection of UK heritage that belongs to all of us forever.'
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Bloomberg
World Hunger Easing Despite Rise in Food Prices, UN Report Says
World hunger fell in 2024, as declines in Asia and South America offset an increase in the number of people who lacked adequate diets in Africa, according to a UN analysis released Monday. The share of the global population that couldn't afford enough food slipped to 8.2% in 2024 from 8.5% the year before, according to the report from the Food and Agriculture Organization. Improved food security in Southeast and South Asia and South America helped boost the global average.
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Gizmodo
Archaeologists Unearth 6-Foot-Tall Bronze Age Warrior Clutching a Spear
In a massive burial mound in the plains of western Azerbaijan, archaeologists discovered the remains of an ancient, towering warrior still clutching a four-pronged spearhead in his hand. The man's skeleton measures over six feet six inches (two meters) in height and dates back to the Middle Bronze Age, approximately 3,800 years ago. Scientists believe he may have been a prominent military leader, due to the way in which he was laid to rest. The discovery offers a glimpse into the social and religious beliefs and rituals of Bronze Age societies, according to a translated statement from the Azerbaijan Ministry of Culture. The burial mound was found near the Ceyranchol plain, in an area locally known as Yovsanlidere, near Azerbaijan's western border. Measuring more than 90 feet (28 meters) in diameter and over 6.6 feet (2 meters) in height, the mound contained 14 one-ton limestone slabs face-to-face just beneath its surface, along with a stone idol shaped like a bull and a circular limestone seal. Known locally as kurgans, burial mounds like this one were ceremonial structures often built by nomadic cultures, offering valuable insights into ancient societies' rituals and beliefs about the afterlife. At the center of the mound was a chamber, 6 feet (2 meters) wide and 20 feet (6 meters) long, divided into three sections. One section contained the human skeleton, another was filled with ceramic vessels, and a third was completely empty. The empty space may symbolize the 'resting place' for the deceased's spirit, according to the statement. The four-pronged bronze spearhead is an especially rare find, not just in Azerbaijan but throughout the broader South Caucasus region. Alongside the spear, researchers uncovered a variety of other valuable items, including bronze ankle adornments, obsidian tools, paste beads, and inlaid ceramic pottery, suggesting the individual held significant prestige. Inside the ceramic vessels, they found the bones of cooked animals, believed to be provisions for the afterlife. For the past five years, more than 2,000 academics and volunteers, both local and international, have conducted research on the Keshikchidagh reserve, an archaeological hotspot. Research on the Keshikchidagh site is ongoing, and plans for laboratory analyses—including carbon dating and isotope testing—are underway for the newly discovered burial mound, the researchers said in the statement.
