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First Undisturbed Elite Tomb Found at Peru's Chan Chan
The intact burial offers rare evidence of Chimú elite funerary practices and includes artifacts that may help answer questions about Inca-era occupation.
- On September 8, the Peruvian Culture Ministry announced archaeologists uncovered a nearly intact funerary platform within the Utzh An complex at Chan Chan containing 38 human remains and elite burial offerings.
- A stone fill layer acted as an inadvertent defense against looters, preserving the platform for approximately 600 years, according to lead archaeologist Jorge Meneses Bartra. This allowed researchers to study remains in their original positions.
- Experts suspect a bright red pigment found on skulls is cinnabar, a mineral that held spiritual value for the Chimú elite. Excavations also revealed elaborate metal ornaments, weapons, and textiles.
- Researchers are launching laboratory analyses on the 38 individuals to clarify Chimú social hierarchies during the Inca expansion. These studies aim to resolve long-standing questions about Andean reburial practices as excavations conclude.
- The tomb's design suggests these mausoleums were "designed to be open," according to University of Florida anthropology professor Gabriel Prieto. This challenges traditional views of closed burials and indicates a dynamic relationship between the living and the dead.
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An archaeologist described the tombs as "the discovery of the decade", as they are the first burials of the kingdom of Chimu that have escaped centuries of looting.
·Buenos Aires, Argentina
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The remains of at least 38 people and metal weapons have been found near Chan Chan, in a burial site that is about 600 years old.
·Budapest, Hungary
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Total News Sources59
Leaning Left7Leaning Right8Center10Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Center
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources are Center
40% Center
L 28%
C 40%
R 32%
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