1,000-year-old mummy with long brown hair discovered in Peru

A 1,000-year-old mummy sporting enviable long brown tresses has been unearthed by archeologists in a residential neighborhood in Peru’s capital.

The ancient cadaver boasting a full head of hair was discovered alongside ceramic jars, fabrics and other artifacts inside an underground funeral chamber at the Huaca Pucllana site in the middle of Lima’s affluent Miraflores district, the head of the team of archaeologists, Mirella Ganoza, told Reuters on Wednesday.

“This is an adult individual in a sitting position with bent legs,” the expert said, noting that the mummy had long locks and a jaw that was nearly completely intact.

“What looks like a braid may be a cord that held her hairstyle,” Ganoza told the news outlet La Republica of the mummy.

Experts noted that they do not yet know the gender of the preserved corpse.

A worker uncovers a mummy belonging to the pre-Inca Ychsma culture in Lima, Peru
A 1,000-year-old mummy sporting long brown tresses was discovered at a dig in Lima, Peru.AFP via Getty Images
The adult mummy was found in a seated position with its knees bent alongside ceramic jars and textiles
The adult mummy was found in a seated position with its knees bent alongside ceramic jars and textiles.REUTERS
A worker uncovers a mummy belonging to the pre-Inca Ychsma culture buried in a shallow funeral chamber on an ancient sanctuary
The mummy possibly lived at the beginning of the pre-Hispanic Ychsma culture, which predated the rise of the Inca empire.AFP via Getty Images

The mummy lived possibly as long as a millennium ago, at the beginning of the Ychsma culture that flourished on the central coast of Peru during a period of social reorganization before the rise of the Inca empire, Ganoza said.

The Huaca Pucllana site, which was believed to have been used as a burial ground by the pre-Hispanic Ychsma people, has already given up several mummies and ancient offerings — with experts comparing it to a Pandora’s Box with much more secrets to be uncovered.

“I find it quite interesting that right in the heart of Miraflores, in the middle of the city, surrounded by modern buildings and constructions, an important site is still preserved, the Huaca Pucllana ceremonial center,” said Ganoza.

A general view of Huaca Pucllana, an archaeological site in a residential neighborhood in Lima
The Huaca Pucllana site is located in the middle of Lima’s affluent Miraflores neighborhood.REUTERS
Workers excavating in the Huaca (Sanctuary) Pucllana, in the heart of a residential area in the district of Miraflores in Lima
Several mummies and artifacts have been found at the ancient burial site in the heart of Lima.AFP via Getty Images
An aerial view of Huaca Pucllana
The Huaca Pucllana site have been called a Pandora’s Box with many discoveries yet to be found.REUTERS

Lima, with a population of 10 million people, has some 400 huacas, or “sanctuaries” with archaeological ruins scattered throughout several neighborhoods.

In June, a 3,000-year-old mummy wrapped in cloth was discovered beneath 15,000 pounds of trash at a dump site in Lima’s Rimac district.

An archaeologist works on a site where a 1,000-year-old mummy was unearthed,
Experts noted that they do not yet know the gender of the preserved corpse.REUTERS
A general view of Huaca Pucllana
The Huaca Pucllana site which was believed to have been used as a burial ground by the pre-Hispanic Ychsma people.REUTERS
An archaeologist cleans the remains of a 1,000-year-old mummy
Lima has some 400 huacas, or “sanctuaries” with archaeological ruins scattered throughout several neighborhoods.REUTERS

Earlier this year, the mummy of a child believed to have been a part of a 1,000-year-old human sacrifice was discovered at another archeological dig on the outskirts of Peru’s capital.

Related Posts

Ramses II: The Legendary Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.

Ramses II (1303 BCE–1213 BCE), often regarded as one of the most influential and powerful rulers in history, reigned during the pinnacle of Ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom….

The Silver Coffin of King Psusennes I: A Unique Royal Burial

The Silver Coffin of King Psusennes I, dating to the 21st Dynasty (c. 1047–1001 B.C.), stands as one of ancient Egypt’s most remarkable funerary artifacts. Discovered in…

The Girl in the Coffin: A Forgotten Child Who Slept for 140 Years

In 2016, workers renovating a simple San Francisco home stumbled upon something extraordinary. Beneath the soil, resting silently for more than a century, lay a small coffin…

Unearthing the Past: The Remarkable Discovery of a Woolly Mammoth

In the frozen soils of Siberia and other parts of the northern hemisphere, time has preserved an incredible legacy from the Ice Age. The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus…

A Hidden Marvel in the Egyptian Desert: The 60-Ton Granite Sarcophagus

The vast, enigmatic Egyptian desert has once again revealed a stunning relic from antiquity — a colossal 60-ton granite sarcophagus that has remained untouched for millennia. This…

Discover the Hidden Animal Carvings in the Ancient Inca Walls of Cusco!

The ancient city of Cusco, Peru, once the heart of the Inca Empire, stands as a testament to the remarkable skills and deep cultural beliefs of the…