Scientists at the National University of Trujillo (UNT) revealed in August the discovery of a rare ancient burial site in Peru, pre-dating the Inca civilization.
Researchers working at the Queneto archaeological site (Virú) in the San Juan ravine uncovered four human burials belonging to two children, a teenager and an adult, dating back roughly 3,800 years, according to a translated statement from UNT. All of the individuals were buried in the same position, facing the mountains and surrounded by offerings including snails and stone pendants.
The burials come from a time well before the Inca civilization thrived across the region. It’s known as the early formative period, a time when Peruvian people were constructing huge stone buildings, pyramids and were using ceramics en masse, Live Science reported.
Rare pre-Inca burials of 4 people found at ‘water cult’ temple in Peru https://t.co/bOil038poC
— Live Science (@LiveScience) August 20, 2024
A large temple with cobblestone walls enclosed the burials. The curved nature of the design and various pottery fragments led researchers to suggest that the people were part of a water cult, the statement noted. (RELATED: 1,000-Year-Old Mummies Unearthed Under Streets Of Lima, Peru)
Tulane University associate professor of anthropology Jason Nesbitt noted that the position of the bodies, facing toward the mountains, may have been specific. “Mountains have symbolic significance in Andean cosmology and were also the source of water for irrigation in an otherwise desert landscape,” he told Live Science, though he was not involved in the study.
As burials from this time are so rare, the researchers hope to not only learn more about this mysterious ancient culture, but preserve the surrounding landscape in the Virú Valley to a reference point for cultural tourism in Peru.