Archaeologists in Peru discover 3 burials from Spanish colonial period
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Sandals, textile fragments, bracelets, funeral mantles and ceramic vessel remnants were also discovered on the site.
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Archaeologists in Peru.
A team of archaeologists from Peru has revealed three burials from the Spanish colonial period located on top of a pre-Hispanic temple which may be aged up to 500 years old, according to a researcher on Thursday.
Peru was colonized by Spain for almost 300 years, from 1532 when they invaded the country, defeating the Incas, until 1821 when popular uprisings led to independence.
"We are working with the hypothesis that the remains belong to a colonial cemetery," Lucenida Carrion, head of the Archaeology Directorate of the Park of Legends in Lima, told AFP.
The park, which holds 54 archeological monuments and sanctuaries, has been subject for study for decades.
"In this summit, we have discovered the burials of two adults and a child who were wrapped in cotton cloth," the archaeologist said.
The sanctuary that dates back to pre-Hispanic times is called "Tres Palos" which is Spanish for "Three trees." The burial site is located in the sanctuary, which is over a thousand years old.
The site was inhabited by settlers from Lima when it was under colonization, after the pre-Hispanic era.
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"We are considering whether the remains are from the colonial era," Carrion said, pointing to the clothes, hair and a Christian crucifix found on one of the artifacts. "This finding is important because it will help us determine if there has been a continuous occupation at this site since pre-Hispanic times.
"What stands out is the cross carried on the chest of one character. This cross indicates the moment of transformation to Christianity of the natives or inhabitants that populated this place," Carrion said.
Sandals, textile fragments, bracelets, funeral mantles and ceramic vessel remnants were also discovered on the site.
The findings are some of the most important in recent years, and they add to the broader study of material testimonies in Maranga.
"The works carried out in the place allow us to establish that its history dates back approximately 2,000 years and that they were occupied by the Lima culture, the Ychsma and finally the Incas," Carrion said.
In 2018, a 1,300-year-old cemetery was found near the park, dating back to pre-Hispanic Lima culture.
