Unknown culture discovered in Peru

Aug 5, 2014 Source: pasthorizonspr.com

Archaeologists from the University of Wrocław working in the Atacama Desert in Peru have discovered more than 150 burials belonging to a previously unknown culture.

The find, dating to between the 4th-7th century CE, indicates that the northern part of the Atacama Desert had been inhabited by a farming community before the expansion of the Tiwanaku civilisation into the region.

The mummies wrapped in burial shrouds and mats. A bows is visible on one of the burials. Photo: Archives of the Tambo Project of the University of Wrocław.

Tambo project

The team from the Institute of Archaeology has carried out research in the area since 2008 as part of the Tambo Project along with researchers from Peru and Colombia.

The cemetery was discovered in the Tambo river delta, in the northern part of the Atacama Desert. “These graves had been dug in the sand without any stone structures, and for this reason they were so difficult to locate that they have not fallen prey to robbers” – said Prof. Józef Szykulski, leader of the research project.

Desert conditions also preserved the contents of the graves. “These burials are of a virtually unknown people, who inhabited the area before the expansion of the Tiwanaku civilisation. Items found in individual graves indicate that the people already had a clear social division” – said Prof. Szykulski.

Inside the tombs, the archaeologists found many artefacts including headgear made of felted lama wool, which could have functioned as a type of helmet. Some of the bodies were wrapped in mats, others in cotton burial shrouds, and others in nets.

“Inside some of the graves we have found bows and quivers with arrows tipped with obsidian heads. This is a very interesting find, because bows are a rarity in Peru” – said the archaeologist. Another interesting find is the skeleton of a young llama, which proves that the animal had been brought to the Tambo Delta earlier than thought.

Artefacts found in one of the graves. Photo: Archives of the Tambo Project of the University of Wrocław.

A stratified culture

In some of the male graves, archaeologists found maces with stone or copper finials. “These objects along with the bows were symbols of power, which suggests that the culture had a stratified society with elites who took their power into the afterlife” – said Prof. Szykulski.

Grave goods also included decorated weaving tools and many jewellery items, including objects made of copper and tumbaga (an alloy of gold and copper). Another interesting discovery are reed withes that were attached to the ears of the dead, and which protruded above the surface of the graves. Scientists suspect that they served as ritual “communication” tools between the dead and the living members of the community.

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