Archaeologists Find A Teenage Mumi Wrapped In 1,000-Year-Old Plastics In Peru

The archaeological site of Cajamarqulla in Lima, Peru. (Wikimedia Commons/Harley Calvert)

JAKARTA - Peruvian archaeologists discovered a more than 1,000-year-old mummy on the outskirts of the capital Lima, in a recent discovery dating back to pre-Inca times.

The mummy, which was discovered on April 24, is likely a teenager, located in an underground tomb wrapped in a burial package, along with ceramics and ropes, as well as pieces of skin and hair.

The youth mummy was found in "good conservation conditions," said archaeologist Yomira Huaman, who is responsible for the Cajamarqulla research project affiliated with Universidad Nacional Major de San Marcos.

Although famous for the site of the Inca Kingdom's resting place at the top of Mount Machu Picchu, Peru is home to various pre-Hispanic cultures that developed in the centuries before the Inca empire came to power, especially along the country's central coast and in Andes.

The teenager is thought to have lived between 1,100 and 1,200 years ago, and may have come from Lima or Ichma culture. The mummy was found about 200 meters (220 yards) from where the first mummy of Cajamarqulla was discovered, Huaman explained, referring to another mummy found nearby last year.

The archaeological site Cajamarquilla is also where eight children and 12 adults were found, which appeared to have been sacrificed some 800-1,200 years ago.

The vast Cajamarqulla complex has four pyramid ruins and other constructions such as walls arranged to resemblelattices. This complex is the second largest mud brick city in Peru after Chan Chan in the north of the country.

Located in a dusty area about 20 km (12 miles) from Lima, the site is believed to be a rapidly growing trade center. Cajamarqulla is likely inhabited by people from the coast and the Andes highlands, Huaman said.