The head of the excavation team said on Tuesday that the mummy of a teenager who lived between 800 and 1,200 years ago was found on the outskirts of Peru’s capital, Lima, with skin fragments and tufts of hair.
Team leader Yomira Huaman said the well-preserved remains of the boy, who was about 12 or 13 years old, were found during excavations at the Cajamarquilla archaeological site in a tomb that was about two meters (6.5 feet) deep and covered with a large stone. . reported AFP.
Cajamarquilla was a mud city built in the pre-Inca period, around 200 BC, and occupied until 1500 AD. It is believed to house between 10,000 and 20,000 people. Huaman said the high salt content of the sand in the area caused the natural mummification of the young man, whose sex has yet to be determined. Pieces of skin remained on the arms and legs, and hair separated from the body was found on the head.
There were also remnants of teeth in the jaw.
“The find is very important because it is so well preserved,” said Huaman, who led a team of archaeologists from the University of San Marcos in Lima. Along with the mummy, the team discovered a stone weapon, a plate, a copper needle, textile remains, corn and paprika. In February 2022, archaeologists found 20 mummies, including eight children, in Cajamarquilla.
Source: Port Altele
