Archeologists discover 800-year-old Pre-Inca mummy in Peru

A mummy estimated to be between 800 and 1000 years old has been unearthed by archeologists in Peru, at a site near the country’s capital city of Lima.

Researchers from the National University of San Marcos found the preserved body underground in the middle of a town square at the archeological site of Cajamarquilla, around 25 kilometers inland from Lima.

The mummy was tied with ropes and with its hands covering its face, in what researchers say is a southern Peruvian funeral custom. The age of the mummy means it dates back to the Inca civilization.

Archeologist Pieter Van Dalen, who is in charge of the Cajamarquilla project, said the mummy would have been buried sometime between 800 and 1000 AD.

Van Dalen said the remains are of a person who lived in the high Andean region of the country. He added that in the tomb were also offerings including ceramics, vegetable remains and stone tools.

Archaeologist Yomira Huamán said it was one of the most important finds at a national and international level as well.