Mysterious 2,300-year-old graves discovered: They were buried face down

Excavations began near the Puemape Temple Complex in 2024 and continued into 2025. While the temple is estimated to be approximately 3,000 years old, the tombs date to a later period, between 400 and 200 BC. This suggests that the site may have been used as a sacrificial center after the temple was abandoned.

Face-down sheep and bound burials

Henry Tantaleán, a professor of archaeology at the National University of San Marcos in Lima and the head of the excavation team, described the findings as highly unusual. He noted that most of the burials contained skeletons placed face down, a burial form rarely seen in Andean prehistory.

Some individuals had fractured skulls, and some had ropes wrapped around their necks and their hands tied behind their backs. The absence of any offerings or other objects in any of the graves strengthens the possibility that the sacrifices were buried for ritual purposes.

WHO WERE THESE PEOPLE?

While the identities of the victims remain uncertain, Tantaleán believes they may have been locals or from a neighboring valley. The research team is conducting various analyses, including DNA tests, on the remains.

Ceramic fragments, animal bones, and plant remains were also found in the temple. All of these elements are crucial for providing clues about religious rituals and social structures of the period.