LIMA — An archaeological site in the midst of Peru's bustling capital has yielded yet another pre-Inca prize, an undisturbed Wari tomb containing two corpses wrapped in ceremonial fabric, scientists said Thursday.
The tomb, estimated to be more than 1,000 years old, was found at the Pucllana archaeological site in Lima. It contained the bodies of an adult and an infant, along with nearly 10 intact artifacts.
The adult was probably a master weaver, said Isabel Flores, an archaeologist at Pucllana. The infant, she added, was probably killed and buried in the tomb as an offering in the adult's honor. "When we unwrap the bodies, we will be able to determine the adult's age, position in society and gender," said Flores.
The Wari civilization was active in an area that now contains Lima from approximately the year 600 to 1000, about 500 years before the Inca empire emerged. Seventy Wari tombs have been unearthed at the Pucllana site, which is nestled in a residential neighborhood in central Lima.
Flores and Gladys Paz, the head archaeologist of the team that made the discovery, said this most recent find is among the site's richest treasures yet. "In terms of big discoveries, this is in the top three," Paz said.
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