Tomb Discovered In Peru: Buried Queens And Treasures

An undisturbed tomb was discovered in Peru. The 1,200 year old imperial tomb contained the remains of three Wari queens and treasures of silver and gold,

The tomb was discovered by Milosz Giersz of the University of Warsaw, Poland. Giersz was thrilled with the rare discovery. However, he kept it hidden for months as he feared the tomb would be destroyed by looters and vandals.

As reported by National Geographic, Giersz and colleague Roberto Pimentel Nita worked at the site for months, gathering the remains and artifacts. A total of 63 human remains were recovered, including three Wari queens. Researchers suspect that several of the bodies belonged to victims of human sacrifice.

Peru’s Minister of Culture is expected to make an official announcement about the discovery.

Makowski Hanula, of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, explains that the tomb “is like a pantheon, like a mausoleum of all the Wari nobility in the region.”

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the Wari occupied much of the land that is now Peru. Between 500 and 1000 A.D., the capital city Huari was one of the most populated cities in the world.

Unfortunately, little remains of the Wari empire. The shrines, palaces, and burial sites have all been destroyed by looters, leaving few clues about their culture and existence.

The tomb discovered in Peru was actually spotted in an aerial photograph taken in 2010. A line in the photograph turned out to be the edge of an underground tomb. As the majority of the entrance was covered in debris, it went unnoticed and undisturbed for 1,200 years.

Giersz and his team dug down through the rubble, eventually revealing a ceremonial room, another chamber, and lastly the actual mausoleum. The archaeologists dug through more than 30 tons of debris and stone to unearth the ancient tomb.

The tomb discovered in Peru is full of valuable treasures. Most importantly, the archaeologists have uncovered a significant piece of history.

Slideshow of photographs from the tomb

[Image via photo credit: szeke via photopin cc]