Remains of victims of funeral rituals found near a 1,000-year-old mummy in Peru

CAIRO – 8 March 2022: Archaeologists have discovered the remains of 20 people who may have been victims of a sacrifice ritual near a Peruvian mummy in the ancient city of Cajamarquilla ,on the outskirts of Lima, the capital of Peru.

Archaeologists have believed since the discovery of the mummy that it was of a man between 18 and 22 years old when he died, but new research indicates that the man was about 35 years old at the time of his embalming. According to the researchers, in a statement about the discovery, archaeologists named the mummy "Chabelo."

The newly discovered remains include the remains of eight children who were wrapped in funeral packages, in addition to the skeletons of twelve adults.

Artifacts and child mummies recovered from the Cajamarquilla Archaeological Complex in Peru. (Image credit: Carlos Garcia Granthon/Fotoholica Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

 

The researchers said that some children showed signs of violence, such as fractures, and it is possible that some of the children were sacrificed as part of funeral rites.

“The concept of death was very important to them; it was a parallel world, the abode of the dead,” said Peter Van Dalen Luna, a professor of archeology at the National University of San in Peru who leads the team that is excavating the site, according to Live Science.

The team plans to conduct DNA analysis and radiocarbon dating on the remains to learn more about the finds.

The archaeological city of Cajamarquilla is believed to have four pyramids around 1000 years ago when the mummy man was living. It was also an important place for trade between the people who lived in the coastal and mountainous regions of Peru.

However, only about 1 percent of the site has been excavated, archaeologists say.