Four pre-Inca tombs found at ceremonial site in Lima, Peru

Archaeologists say they have discovered tombs that are more than 1,000 years old in a pyramid-shaped cemetery in the midst of Peru's capital, Lima.

The find confirms the historical presence in Lima of the Ichma culture which took hold on
 the central coast around 1000 and disappeared around 1450 as Inca civilization
 began to spread [Credit: AFP/Cris Bouroncle]

"There are four human burial sites for adult individuals, three women and one man, who lived between the years 1000 to 1450," said archaeologist Isabel Flores, director of the program in Huaca Pucllana, a ceremonial complex in Miraflores district.

The find confirms the historical presence of the Ichma culture in Lima.

The Ichma culture flourished on the central coast of Peru around 1000 and disappeared around 1450 as Inca civilisation began to spread.

Four pre-hispanic Ichma culture tombs have been found in the Huaca Pucllana 
ceremonial complex in Lima [Credit: Reuters/Mariana Bazo]

"These are the first four tombs of the Ichma culture," Ms Flores said.

The tombs featured seated remains, looking toward the sea, wrapped up in textile and hand-woven natural materials alongside offerings such as ceramics and weaving tools.

Ms Flores has been researching the site for more than three decades and also runs the Huaca Pucllana Museum.

She said they "may still find more" tombs at the Huaca Pucllana complex despite long-term looting.

"This is the first district in the country that has more than 1,500 years of known history to date," she said.

In Lima alone, there are some 350 "huacas" — the indigenous Quechua-language word for these ceremonial complexes, most of which predate Spanish colonisation.

Source: AFP [November 27, 2015]

TANN

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