A Mysterious Mummy with Hands Covering Its Face Unearthed in Peru

Peru is a country rich in history and culture, with many ancient civilizations that left behind fascinating traces of their lives and beliefs. One of these civilizations was the Lima culture, which flourished between 200 and 700 AD in the central coast of Peru, near the modern city of Lima. The Lima culture is known for its distinctive pottery, textiles, and architecture, but also for its unique burial practices.

Recently, a team of archaeologists from the National University of San Marcos made a surprising discovery in Cajamarquilla, a significant archaeological site about 15.5 miles inland from Lima. They found a mummy, fully bound in ropes and with its hands covering its face, in an underground tomb that dates back to pre-Hispanic times. The mummy is estimated to be between 800 and 1,200 years old, which means it predates the Inca civilization that dominated the region in the 15th century.

The mummy’s pose is not common among the Lima culture, which usually buried their dead in a sitting position with their knees bent and their arms crossed over their chest. According to the archaeologists, the mummy’s pose is more typical of the southern Peruvian funeral customs, which suggests that the mummy was not a local resident, but a visitor or a migrant from another region.

The tomb also contained various artifacts, such as ceramics, vegetable remains, stone tools, and marine mollusks. These items indicate that the mummy was probably an important person in his society, and that his descendants kept visiting his tomb and offering him food and gifts over many years. The presence of marine mollusks also suggests that the mummy had connections with the coast, where he might have obtained them through trade or travel.

The archaeologists believe that the discovery of this mummy sheds new light on the interactions and relationships among different cultures and regions in pre-Hispanic Peru. They also hope that further analysis of the mummy’s remains will reveal more information about his identity, origin, health, diet, and cause of death.

The discovery of this mummy is not the only one that has made headlines in Peru recently. In February 2023, another mummy was found in a food delivery cooler bag by Peruvian police in the city of Puno. The mummy was estimated to be between 600 and 800 years old, and was likely stolen from a nearby archaeological site by looters.

Peru is home to more than 100,000 archaeological sites, many of which are vulnerable to theft, vandalism, and destruction. The Peruvian government has been trying to protect and preserve its cultural heritage by increasing security measures, raising awareness, and promoting tourism. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that the ancient secrets of Peru are not lost or forgotten.