Emerging Archaeology

The Unearthing of a Pre-Hispanic Cemetery and Unveiling the Historical Facts

The discovery and excavation of a 1000-year-old pre-Hispanic cemetery took place in a residential neighbourhood on Northern Lima Street, in the district of Puente Piedra, Peru, raising new questions about the intersection of urban development, heritage preservation, and national identity.

Utility workers of the Calidda company were digging under the Peruvian capital to install a gas pipeline when they suddenly hit the hard surface of a tomb.

Human remains (like scattered ones, skulls, and other everyday objects) were found in the tomb, believed to be part of a cemetery, which was spotted just two meters away from the main gate of a house on the street.

The clothing and other artefacts [pottery, ceramics, ancient cutlery, and ornaments] found at the site, alongside the tomb, are presumed to be from a coastal fishing-based civilisation known for its textiles and ceramics.

“We might just be living over a pre-Hispanic cemetery, as this isn’t the first” said a local resident when asked about the frequent discoveries in the same area

It is common for organisations excavating in Lima to hire archaeologists due to the area’s reputation for frequent discoveries of historical evidence and the presence of numerous sites scattered throughout the city. Gas distribution company Calidda followed the same practice and hired an on-site archaeologist, Jose Pablo Aliaga, who said that the remains of a man wrapped in burial cloths alongside pottery likely pointed to a burial complex, after another body was found nearby.

In another recent discovery last month, Calidda gas workers working in the same district of Puente Piedra uncovered a pre-Inca mummy, estimated to be around 900-1,000 years old. It was reported that the remains found, alongside a mummified woman, were of a teenage boy, around 10-15 years old, in a seated position with arms and legs bent. The body was wrapped in a shroud with ceramic artefacts including plates, bottles, and jugs featuring geometric and fisherman motifs, as well as calabash gourds. The artefacts found at both excavation sites point directly towards the historical civilisation of what we now call Peru. The archaeologist in charge of this excavation reported that the mummy was found in a bundle and still had dark brown hair. It was also revealed that these residential areas used to be agricultural lands a few decades ago.

What is the Historical Civilisation of Peru?

The discoveries made so far in Peru all point to a pre-Hispanic civilisation- The Chancay [chan-kai] culture, developed in the later part of the Inca Empire on the coastal valleys of Peru from about 1000 to 1470 CE.

The Chancay culture, with a population of 63,378, based its economy on agriculture, fishing, and trade. They invented an ancient watercraft called caballitos de totora. The settlements in this civilisation focused mainly on artisans producing large-scale ceramics and textiles. The Chancay culture is the first of the Peruvian cultures that had mass production of ceramics, textiles, and metals such as gold and silver, which were ritualistic and domestic goods. They were also noted for their wood-carved items. All of which have been discovered in the evidence found by Calidda.

The most well-known Chancay artefacts are the textiles, which ranged from embroidered pieces, different types of fabrics decorated with paint. Many Chancay textiles survive to date, and due to the quantities that have been preserved,  their production is known to be quite extensive. Ceramics produced on a large scale using moulds are also a very common feature of the Chancay culture.

They also manufactured tools for use in the textile work, in farming and fishing operations, as well as a variety of objects for worship and to distinguish the social status of the populace. Their culture was marked by social stratification, which was also present in the small towns.  

Peru's 10 million-strong capital hosts over 400 archaeological sites dotted around the city. Calidda has itself reported over 2,200 archaeological discoveries in the last two decades, most of them traced back to the Chancay culture.

It highlights the rich history and archaeological significance of the region. The findings add to the growing body of knowledge about pre-Hispanic burial practices and cultures in Peru

-by Haarshitaa