Latest news with #Cálidda
New York Post
2 days ago
- Science
- New York Post
Utility workers uncover 1,000-year-old pre-Inca mummy in Peru's capital
Utility workers excavating trenches to expand the network of natural gas pipelines in Peru's capital have uncovered a pre-Inca mummy approximately 1,000 years old, barely 20 inches from the surface. The mummy had gone unnoticed despite urban development in a district of Lima where former agricultural fields have been converted into working-class neighborhoods in recent decades. Jose Aliaga, an archaeologist with utility Cálidda, on Wednesday said the unearthed mummy, found in a seated position and covered by a bundle, still has dark brown hair. Advertisement 4 An ancient mummy covered in a bundle and found in a seated position in the ground on the outskirts of Lima, Peru on June 18, 2025. AP 'We found remains and evidence that there could be a pre-Hispanic burial,' Aliaga said. He said workers made the discovery last week. Lima, located in a valley irrigated by three rivers fed from the Andes, housed human civilizations thousands of years before the Spanish arrived in 1535. Advertisement Now home to 10 million people, the city has more than 400 archaeological sites, most of which are intertwined with the current urban fabric. 'It is very common to find archaeological remains on the Peruvian coast, including Lima, mainly funerary elements: tombs, burials, and, among these, mummified individuals,' said Pieter Van Dalen, dean of the College of Archaeologists of Peru. Van Dalen, who is not involved in the discovery, said mummies on the Peruvian coast are usually found mummified naturally, generally in desert areas, with the skin dehydrated by the summer heat. 4 Archaeologist Jose Aliaga excavates the ancient mummy from the dirt it had sat in for thousands of years. AP Advertisement 4 People gather to look at the ancient discovery. AP 4 The mummy is seen through protective netting set up around the excavation area. AP He explained that other unearthed remains have been found to have undergone mummification procedures for cultural reasons and are usually discovered in a seated position with their hands covering their faces. Jesús Bahamonde, director of the archaeological monitoring plan of metropolitan Lima at Cálidda, said the mummy found last week would have belonged to a society of fishermen of the Chancay culture, which flourished between 1,000 and 1,470 AD.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Science
- Fox News
Utility workers digging trenches stumble upon 1,000-year-old mummy with intact hair
Utility workers recently came across a millennia-old mummy that predates the Inca Empire. The groundsmen were excavating trenches in the Peruvian capital of Lima earlier in June when they came across the remains. The well-preserved female mummy dates back 1,000 years, experts said — and was found just 20 inches below the ground. The Inca Empire lasted from around 1400 to 1533 A.D. — so the individual died some 400 years before the rise of the Incans. Pictures of the remains show the skeleton in an upright position, still retaining dark brown hair. The mummy likely dates back to the Chancay culture, which existed in Peru from 1000 to 1470 A.D. Jose Aliaga, an archaeologist with utility company Cálidda, told The Associated Press the burial was undoubtedly pre-Hispanic. The Spanish colonized the area in 1535. "It is very common to find archaeological remains on the Peruvian coast, including Lima, mainly funerary elements: tombs, burials, and, among these, mummified individuals." "We found remains and evidence that there could be a pre-Hispanic burial," Aliaga said. Lima, home to 10 million people, has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years. The city is located in a valley irrigated by three Andes-fed rivers, which made it inhabitable for ancient civilizations. Pieter Van Dalen, dean of the College of Archaeologists of Peru, told AP that coming across remains is not uncommon in Lima. The city alone boasts 400 archaeological sites. "It is very common to find archaeological remains on the Peruvian coast, including Lima, mainly funerary elements: tombs, burials, and, among these, mummified individuals," the expert noted. Van Dalen, who was not involved in the discovery, said many Peruvian mummies are naturally mummified in desert areas, where their skin is dehydrated by the heat. Some Peruvian mummies are usually found in a seated position with hands covering their faces. Mummies are of high interest to archaeologists worldwide, and many are discovered and studied every year. Earlier this spring, Peruvian officials announced the discovery of 5,000-year-old remains belonging to a high-status ancient woman. Researchers also conducted a recent study on an 18th-century mummy in Austria, finding that it was well-preserved from an unusual embalming method.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Workers Were Laying a Gas Pipeline—and Uncovered a 1,000-Year-Old Child Mummy
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Utility crews constructing a natural gas pipeline in Peru uncovered a 1,000-year-old mummy. Located in what is now a neighborhood, the seated mummy was likely the result of a pre-Hispanic burial. The environment along Peru's coastline often naturally mummifies remains. Workers laying new natural gas pipeline in Lima, Peru, unexpectedly found something else entirely natural: A 1,000-year-old mummy. The find occurred just 20 inches below the surface, in what was once an agricultural field and is now a working-class neighborhood. 'We found remains and evidence that there could be a pre-Hispanic burial,' said Jose Aliaga, an archaeologist with the utility company Cálidda, according to the Associated Press. Crews digging a trench for the pipeline discovered the mummy of a boy—likely between the age of 10 and 15 years old—in a seated position with dark brown hair still on his head. The remains were covered with a bundle of objects that included a shroud and calabash gourds. Jesus Bahamonde, director of the archaeological monitoring plan of metropolitan Lima at Cálidda, said that the mummy may have once been part of the Chancay culture, which was a society of fisherman that lived in the area between 1000 and 1470 A.D. The find occurred near the trunk of the native huarango tree, 'which served as a tomb marker in the past,' Bahamonde said, according to CBS. 'The burial and the object correspond to a style that developed between 1,000 and 1,200 [A.D.].' The boy was found with ceramic plates, bottles, and jugs next to him, some of which were decorated with geometric patterns and figures of fishermen. Human remains discovered on the coast of Peru are found in naturally mummified states not infrequently, as the skin gets dehydrated from summer heat. 'It is very common to find archaeological remains on the Peruvian coast, including Lima,' said Pieter Van Dalen, dean of the College of Archaeologists of Peru, 'mainly funerary elements: tombs, burials, and, among these, mummified individuals.' And in general, the likelihood of uncovering archaeological finds when working in and around Lima is so high that utility companies are required to hire archeologists when excavating. Cálidda reports that it has made more than 2,200 archaeological finds in the last 20 years alone. And these discoveries have been diverse. For instance, in 2024, crews discovered a 3,800-year-old temple burial that pre-dates the rise of the Incan Empire. Inside, researchers discovered four skeletal remains, all facing the mountains in what is thought to be a symbol of water worship. That same year, archaeologist also uncovered pillared halls in Nepena Valley, featuring finely painted throne rooms depicting a powerful woman, who could have been a seventh-century leader of Pañamarca. That room may be the first throne room built for a queen in Peru. In 2025, archaeologists announced the discovery of the lost ruins of a ceremonial temple—covered in sand and 4,000-5,000 years old—in the northwest of the country, with the skeletal remains of three adults tucked between walls. In another find, archaeologists explored secret mountain rooms only to discover ancient psychedelic paraphernalia—ancient bones carved into tubes that contained hallucinogenic substances. Other 2025 finds from Peru include an underground labyrinth that helps confirm a centuries-old rumor—the tunnel network under the ancient city of Cusco, which connected the Temple of the Sun to key points, such as a fortress—and 100 structures from an ancient city that was once inhabited by the 'people of the cloud forest.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
1,000-year-old pre-Inca mummy discovered just half a metre below a street in Lima
The remains, identified as a woman aged 20 to 30, were wrapped in a bundle that still had visible dark brown hair. Alongside the body, archaeologists found nine ceramic vessels, including a painted bottle depicting a fisherman in a headdress - suggesting the woman belonged to the Chancay culture, a coastal fishing society that thrived between 1000 and 1470 AD. The discovery is part of an ongoing archaeological monitoring program by the national gas company Cálidda, which has recovered over 2,200 artefacts during infrastructure projects in Lima.
Euronews
6 days ago
- Science
- Euronews
Ancient Peruvian mummy found lying just half a metre below a street
The remains, identified as a woman aged 20 to 30, were wrapped in a bundle that still had visible dark brown hair. Alongside the body, archaeologists found nine ceramic vessels, including a painted bottle depicting a fisherman in a headdress - suggesting the woman belonged to the Chancay culture, a coastal fishing society that thrived between 1000 and 1470 AD. The discovery is part of an ongoing archaeological monitoring program by the national gas company Cálidda, which has recovered over 2,200 artefacts during infrastructure projects in Lima.
