Latest news with #LadyoftheFourTupus
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Found a Stunningly Preserved 5,000-Year-Old Mummy—in a Garbage Dump
An archaeological site that used to be a garbage dump has revealed the extraordinarily preserved mummy of an elite woman from the ancient Caral civilization of Peru. The woman was buried with luxury grave goods and a headdress that distinguished her as a member of the aristocracy. This find shows that, despite previous evidence proving rulers were men, women were allowed to hold high social rank in Caral society. In ancient Peru, those of high rank were buried with both treasures and dignity—so why were the mummified remains of a noblewoman languishing in a garbage dump for decades? The site where the mummy was found this past December had not always been covered in trash. She was buried in Aspero, once a scared site in the city of Caral, which rose around 3,000 BC. Caral emerged from the fertile Super Valley and flourished around the same time as other illustrious ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, China and Egypt. It even boasts a pyramid to rival the towering Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara. It only became a dump in the 1960s until it later turned into an archaeological site in the 1990s. Archaeologist David Palomino, who led the excavation on this site, is convinced that even tough most rulers in Caral society were men, this woman was had to be a member of the elite. The find shows that women could hold high social positions. She was shrouded in several layers of fabric, wore a headdress made of twisted threads to show her status, and was covered with a mantle of blue-and-gold macaw feathers. Among her grave goods were a stone bowl, a straw basket and a toucan's beak, but what was really exceptional about this mummy is her state of preservation. 'This is an exceptional burial due to the preservation of skin, hair and nails, a rare condition in this area, where usually only skeletal remains are recovered,' said the culture ministry of Peru in a press release. Whoever this woman was in life, preliminary analysis has shown that she was about five feet tall and somewhere between the ages of 20 and 35 at the time of death, though what caused her death remains unknown. She joins the 'Lady of the Four Tupus' as another female elite burial unearthed in Caral. While only skeletal remains of this individual, known for being buried with four brooches carved into the shapes of animals, remained, she is another example of an aristocratic woman from the same region and time period. Like the newly discovered Caral woman, the Lady of the Four Tupus was covered in layers of shrouds and went to the afterlife with luxury grave goods. The bone brooches placed at her shoulders were howler monkeys and exotic birds with chrysocolla eyes. Around her neck was an impressive string of mollusk shell beads crowned with a spondylus, or spiny oyster, shell. Her head was also bound, another indicator of wealth and status. Whether the newer mummy had her head bound has not been determined yet. Something curious about the Lady of the Four Tupus was that, despite her having been part of the top echelon of society, her bones give away signs of hard physical labor. Caral thrived from fishing and agriculture. This could mean that even the elites of the city were not exempt from work, hardly the stereotypical picture of ancient royals and aristocrats at the height of leisure, fanned and fed by their loyal servants. Further analysis may be able to tell whether the woman found beneath the former garbage dump also had an obligation to do some sort of labor. 'A multidisciplinary team is currently investigating aspects related to health, death, diet, and the origin and use of the recovered objects,' the culture Ministry of Peru also said. Caral, which was inhabited by the Norte Chico people, was around for four millennia before the rise of the Inca Empire and saw no outside influence. It might even be the oldest known city in the Americas. Some archaeologists suggest its splendor ended because of internal strife or political upheaval, which is difficult to prove. Why it was abandoned without any evidence of being conquered is still a mystery. 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
28-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Lavish gravesite confirms women's power in ancient South America
An ancient woman's recently discovered, richly adorned gravesite is helping archeologists better understand the complex gender relationships in South America's oldest known civilization. Excavations at the fishing settlement of Áspero are yielding some of the best looks yet at the Caral civilization, an Andean society established around the same time as the rise of ancient Egypt. And judging from the 5,000-year-old body, it appears the society fostered a comparatively egalitarian culture that included women in positions of power. Long before the Incas, there were the Carals. Named after its capitol city, the first known South American culture flourished between 3000 and 1800 BCE in present-day Peru. The Caral civilization is particularly known for its immense, architecturally complex cities, and at one time likely featured the most densely populated areas in the world. One of those settlements was Áspero, which operated as a satellite fishing hub for the city of Caral about 112 miles north of Lima. Áspero also included a number of huacas (or temples) such as Huaca de los Ídolos, which functioned as a burial site for prominent community members. In 2016, archeologists discovered the remains of a high society individual later known as the 'Lady of the Four Tupus.' While the funerary items and burial accessories hinted at an egalitarian society, more evidence was needed if experts hoped to strengthen the theory. That additional proof appears to have been found just a few feet away, according to Peru's Ministry of Culture. In their recent update, archeologists announced the excavation of another, similarly adorned woman buried at the Huaca de los Ídolos. The remains appear to have belonged to a 20–35 year old woman who stood around 5 feet tall. Unlike other skeletal remains of the region at that time, the woman is remarkably well-preserved and still includes portions of skin, nails, and hair. The body's exceptional condition is likely due in part to how it was interred. Before her burial, attendants wrapped the woman in layers of cotton fabric and handwoven rush mats, as well as an embroidered mantle crafted using colorful macaw feathers. Funerary offerings included weaving tools, a bone needle, handmade vessels, a snail shell likely originating from the Amazon basin, as well as a toucan beak inlaid with green and brown beads. The grave also contained over 30 sweet potatoes, further hinting at the woman's high societal standing. The Ministry of Culture explained the characteristics of her funerary treatment and burial offerings reinforce previous theories of a 'leading female role' in Caral society. 'It was generally thought that rulers were men, or that they had more prominent roles in society,' archeologist David Palomino told the AFP. With both the recent discovery and the Lady of the Four Tupus, Palomino believes it's evident that women also 'played a very important role in the Caral civilization.' Following her excavation, archeologists and colleagues plan to conduct a detailed examination of the remains and artifacts to better understand the woman's health, diet, cause of death, as well as the cultural contexts surrounding her burial.
