An ancient mummy has been unearthed by archaeologists at Cajamarquilla, Peru. The mummy is believed to be a thousand years old and was discovered in an underground tomb.

The mummy was found lying in a fetal position and bound by rope. It was found as part of a dig by the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM). It was found as part of a dig by the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM).

In their statement in Spanish, the archaeologists said: “The recent discovery of a pre-Inca mummy in perfect condition has led to redoubled efforts to continue uncovering the mysteries contained in one of the most extensive settlements on the Lima coast.”

They noted that based on the characteristics of the mummy, it appears to be a man and was buried in a practice that was common at the time for people who lived in mountainous areas close to Cajamarquilla.

The city was home to more than 10,000 people at the time, according to the researchers.

As the body was covered in rope, researchers found evidence that the site would have been occupied by coastal and mountain people during the late pre-Hispanic period, with a location strategic for commercial exchange between the inhabitants of both areas.

Archaeology breakthrough as ‘perfect’ 1,000-year-old mummy found in underground Peru tomb (Image: Klebher Vasquez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The archaeologists said that the mummified man died anywhere between 800 to 1,200 years ago, and was the son of a wealthy merchant.

Pieter Van Dalen Luna, an archaeology professor at the National University of San Marcos who led the team told CNN: “After the body is placed in the tomb, there are constant events and activities.

“That is to say, their descendants keep coming back over many years and placing food and offerings there, including molluscs.”

In the man’s tomb, they found the remains of a dog and an Andean guinea pig, along with corn and the remains of other vegetables.

The researchers present the mummy they found (Image: Klebher Vasquez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The mummy was found in a fetal position, inside an oval underground funerary structure that had a platform on the north side that was accessed by a seven-tiered staircase.

The researchers said: “The significance of this archaeological complex lies in its strategic location, as a control and means of interaction of interregional relations.”

It is located in the district of Lurigancho- Chosica, on the right bank of the middle valley of the Rímac River and borders a large number of human settlements.

A view of objects found near the pre-Incan “Mummy of Cajamarquilla” (Image: Klebher Vasquez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

It is located in the district of Lurigancho- Chosica, on the right bank of the middle valley of the Rímac River and borders a large number of human settlements.

According to the scientific article “The Late Intermediate Period in Cajamarquilla from the evidence of the Tello sector ”, the town became a multiethnic commercial centre during this period.

The researcher’s statement read: “This work is contributing to a greater knowledge of the cultural practices developed in late pre-Hispanic periods in Cajamarquilla, its interactions with other sites in the Rímac Valley, the productive strategies it had, as well as the hierarchical situation at the time of the arrival of the Incas and the annexation of this territory to Tawantinsuyo.”