Archaeologists unearth 1,000-year-old mummy in Peru residential neighbourhood

LIMA - Archaeologists in Peru have unearthed a 1,000-year-old mummy in the latest discovery at an archaeological site located in a residential neighbourhood of the country's capital, Lima.

The remains were found alongside ceramic vessels, textiles and other objects in the Huaca Pucllana site in the middle of Lima's affluent Miraflores district, the head of the team of archaeologists, Mirella Ganoza, told Reuters on Wednesday (Sept 6).

"This is an adult individual in a sitting position with bent legs," the expert said, noting that the mummy had long hair and a jaw that was nearly completely intact.

The uncovered mummy lived possibly as long as a millennium ago, at the beginning of the Ychsma culture that developed on the central coast of modern Peru during a period of social reorganisation prior to the arrival of the Incas to the area, Ganoza said.

Mummies and ancient offerings have already been found in the Huaca Pucllana site, and experts see the site as a Pandora's Box with much more to be found.

While best known for the mountain-top Inca royal retreat of Machu Picchu, Peru was home to various pre-Hispanic cultures that thrived in the centuries before the Inca empire rose to power, mainly along the country's central coast and in the Andes.

"I find it quite interesting that right in the heart of Miraflores, in the middle of the city, surrounded by modern buildings and constructions, an important site is still preserved, the Huaca Pucllana ceremonial center," said Ganoza.

Lima, with 10 million inhabitants, has some 400 huacas, or sites with archaeological ruins, that can be seen in various neighbourhoods, according to experts.

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