A group of archaeologists from the University of San Marcos (Peru) have recently found a pre-Inca mummy between 800 and 1,200 years old, in the Cajamarquilla Archaeological Complex, 24 kilometers from Lima.
The remains were found in a perfect state of preservation more than two meters deep in a funerary matrix covered with a mud rock, and would correspond to an adolescent of about 12 or 13 years of age, with an approximate height of 1.30 meters. . The sex of the individual has not yet been determined.
The grave goods discovered next to the body include a boleadora (stone weapon), a mate (plate), a copper needle, wrappers and vegetables, such as corn and chili, said archaeologist Yomira Huamán, who directs the Cajamarquilla archaeological project.
According to the researcher, the coarse sand in the area, with high salt components, would have initiated a natural mummification process, which has allowed the arms, forearms and legs to retain traces of skin. Likewise, the head, separated from the torso, maintains tufts of hair, and the jaw still has a part of the teeth.
After removing the remains, the scientists will go to the cabinet stage, where the analysis of the body, botanical, malacological (marine shells), lithic and metal material will be carried out. Thanks to these tests, it will be possible to identify what the individual did, what could have been the cause of his death and what diseases he suffered, among other details.
Cajamarquilla was an important pre-Hispanic mud city where multiple functions were carried out in administrative, domestic and residential sectors and which could have housed between 10,000 and 20,000 people. It was built around the year 200 a. C. and was occupied until the year 1500. Now, it is one of the largest archaeological complexes in the Peruvian capital
