Archaeologists working within the northern highlands of Peru at a site called Pacopampa unearthed a tomb estimated to be 3,000 years old and believed to have honored an elite religious leader.
Reuters reported that the archeologists called the invention, “Priest of Pacopampa,” named after the archeological zone where the tomb was uncovered.
The tomb was covered with six layers of ash mixed with black earth, and was decorated with ceramic bowls.
The tomb also had two seals along the upper edges of the tomb, which indicate ancient ritual body paint used for individuals with nobility, Peru’s Culture Ministry said on Saturday.
One in every of the seals was a jaguar design facing west, while the opposite was an anthropomorphic face looking east.
Yuji Seki, who led the project, described the big tomb as nearly 2 meters in diameter and one meter deep, which he added was “very peculiar.”
The body’s positioning was also peculiar, he noted, since it was lying face down with half of his body prolonged and feet crossed.
Seki also reportedly said a bone shaped right into a tupu, or a big pin utilized by Andean Amerindians to carry cloaks and ponchos, was found with the body. Typically, he added, tupus are used to carry a girl’s blanket.
“Though this person is a person, the associations are very peculiar,” Seki said. “I feel this was a pacesetter in his time.”
In keeping with the ministry, archeologists have been working on the Pacopampa Archeological Project since 2005.
The rock layers the tomb was discovered under indicated he would have been buried about 1,200 B.C.
Archeologists also uncovered the tombs of the “Lady of Pacopampa” in 2009, and the “Priests of the Serpent Jaguar of Pacopampa” in 2015.
The “Priest of Pacopampa” is estimated to be about five centuries older than the 2 previous tombs.
Nevertheless, the “Priest of Plutos,” which was discovered in 2022, is believed to be older.
