Archaeologists find mummy of young priestess from 300-450 AD in Peru
November 9th, 2009 - 3:07 pm ICT by ANI ( Leave a comment )Lima (Peru), November 9 (ANI): An archaeological excavation has uncovered the mummy of a young priestess, a member of the elite, with several precious items dating from the period of 300-450 AD in Cahuachi, Peru.
According to a report in Travel Culture History News, the mummy was found inside a series of rooms between the Great Pyramid and what is known as the Orange Pyramid.
The building would have formed a small temple that had 4 columns holding up its roof.
Giuseppe Orefici, director of the Nasca Project, said that the archaeologists had to remove a layer or reeds and ropes that covered the burial.
The body appeared to have been painted and found with an additional vertebra added.
She also had slightly deformed forearms, apparently something self-inflicted by having the arms extended vertically for long periods of time - perhaps as a result of a praying.
She was wrapped in finely woven fabric that had patterns of orcas (killer whales) found in the southern pacific and contained obsidian arrow heads.
But the most impressive items are the jewels found in the bundle.
Of these one in particular stands out; a spectacular golden nose ring bathed in silver, which was found on her nose when uncovered.
Also found were necklaces and bracelets of precious spondylus shells among other precious items.
Although there is much to discover about the supposed priestess, researchers have begun the journey decipher the meaning of the burial objects.
The find has been taken to the city of Nazca where it is being studied by anthropologist and physicist Andrea Drusini from the University of Padua. (ANI)
- Seven dead after small plane crash in Ica, Peru - Feb 26, 2010
- Plane Crash Near Nazca Lines Claims Six Lives - Oct 03, 2010
- Ninth-century cemetery unearthed in Mexico - Jun 29, 2011
- 2,700-yr-old pyramid tomb with royal burials, jewels unearthed in Mexico - Nov 19, 2010
- Archaeologists find burial chamber of 4,000-year-old Egyptian queen - Mar 04, 2010
- Scientists discover that some Ice age mariners were present in pre-historic Greece - Aug 30, 2011
- Ancient Nazca civilization brought about its own demise by destroying forests - Nov 02, 2009
- Satellite discovers ancient adobe pyramid in Peru - Oct 04, 2008
- Tomb of King Tut's wife may emerge in 2011 - Jan 04, 2011
- 8 feared dead as plane goes missing in Peru - Jun 11, 2010
- Ancient Nazca Lines in Peru to be protected from heavy rains - Apr 14, 2009
- Mystery of million mummies buried near Snefu's Seila pyramid - Jun 14, 2010
- Mummy found abandoned in Peru's capital - Sep 21, 2011
- Egyptian mummies who lived 3,500yrs ago 'had clogged arteries' - Apr 05, 2011
- 10th-century tomb found in Peru - Oct 26, 2011
Tags: archaeological excavation, archaeologists, arrow heads, burial objects, cahuachi, forearms, great pyramid, killer whales, lima peru, long periods of time, nazca, nose ring, orcas, orcas killer whales, peru lima, priestess, small temple, travel culture, vertebra, woven fabric