Archaeology & History

3,000-year-old remains of a priest unearthed in Peru

By T.K. Randall
August 28, 2023 ·  1 comment

The ruins at Pacopampa. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 AgainErick Unearthed within the Pacopampa archaeological site of Peru's Cajamarca region, the skeletal remains, which were oriented from south to north, date all the way back to 1,000 B.C.

"He is one of the first priests in the Andes to have a series of offerings," archaeologist Juan Pablo Villanueva told AFP.

The items found with the body in the tomb included small ceramic bowls, two seals depicting a jaguar and an anthropomorphic face, a carved bone spatula and a variety of other items.The site itself lies 2,500 meters above sea level and is home to a number of ceremonial buildings.

"The find is extremely important because he is one of the first priests to begin to control the temples in the country's northern Andes," said Japanese archaeologist Yuji Seki.

The find demonstrated that, long ago, "powerful leaders had appeared in the Andes", he added.

Source: Phys.org | Comments (1)

Tags: Peru, Tomb