600-Year-Old Untouched Tomb Found in Peru

A 600-year-old untouched tomb has been discovered in Peru, shining a light on a major Andean civilization. The tomb, which escaped centuries of looting thanks to it being hidden under a compact rock mass, contains the remains of 38 high-status individuals, as well as metal weapons, jewelry, and copper and gold artifacts.

The pristine funerary platform was located in Chan Chan, the former capital of the ancient Chimú, a powerful civilization that ruled the northern coast of Peru from around 900 to 1470 CE when they were conquered by the Inca. The site is also known as the largest pre-Columbian adobe city in South America. The discovery took place in the Utzh An walled complex, formerly known as the Gran Chimú Palace, and is one of many tomb platforms known to have been built by the Chimú elite.

“What was known about elite Chimú tombs prior to this discovery came from platforms that had been looted and destroyed since colonial times, with altered and incomplete contexts and valuable objects on display in collections and museums,” lead archeologist Jorge Meneses said via a statement. “Now, as archaeologists, we have the opportunity to study the individuals and artifacts exactly as they were interred within this platform nearly 600 years ago.”

The platform has a square structure, measuring nearly 56 feet on each side and 16 feet high. It has a central chamber and two side chambers. The central chamber, which is 4 feet wide, housed the remains of a single individual, whose skull was covered in a red pigment believed to be cinnabar. Remains of 20 people were found in one of the side chambers, while the other didn’t have any bodies, but contained some weapons and emblems. The remaining 18 individuals were found in other parts of the platform.

The person in the central chamber has intrigued the archeologists, sparking questions about their place in the Chimú society. As opposed to the other bodies, their bones are incomplete. Meneses told El País that this could have to do with the Andean tradition of exhuming their loved ones and moving their bodies elsewhere.

“There have always been reburial practices in Andean societies,” Meneses explains. “They moved their mummies. They even removed parts of the skeletons to obtain family heirlooms from the deceased. This leads us to believe that the mummy was moved before the platform was covered.”

While the discovery is great news for the global archeology community, it is a particular source of pride to the locals, as it was carried out by an entirely Peruvian team made of 98 people, including archaeologists, conservators, a photographer, and surveyors. Given that only 7% of Chan Chan has been excavated, there are still hundreds of more stories for the team to unravel at this UNESCO World Heritage-listed site.