On Wednesday, Peruvian archaeologists made an intriguing discovery near Lima, the capital city—an ancient mummy believed to be nearly 3,000 years old. This remarkable find adds to the growing collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts unearthed in the Andean nation.
The remains of its hair and skull were initially found by researchers and students of San Marcos University, in a cotton bundle, during an excavation.

Further work at the Huaca La Florida archaeological site, in the central Rimac Valley, later uncovered the rest of the mummy.

The archaeologists believe that the mummy was probably from the Manchay culture, which developed in the valleys of Lima between 1500 and 1000 BC.

Archaeologist Miguel Aguilar said that the person, who had undergone the mummification process, was likely offered up during the construction of temples built in a U-shape that pointed towards the sunrise.

“We have discovered a pre-Hispanic burial with a mummy. It was a person who had undergone a mummification process on the inside. It was a stone tomb. The person who had been left or offered up (a reference to sacrifice) in this area happened in the last phase of the construction of this temple. It is approximately 3,000 years old,” Reuters quoted Aguilar as saying.

“It most probably belongs to the Manchay culture. It is a culture that developed in the valleys of Lima between 1,500 and 1,000 BCE. They are associated with the culture of the U-shaped temples, which are a group of buildings that have a U-shape in their layout and are always pointing towards the sunrise,” he added.

Archaeologists found other items that were buried with the body which included corn, coca leaves and seeds. They believe that these items may have been a part of an offering.

Peru police discover ancient Hispanic mummy in man’s food delivery bag
Earlier, a pre-Hispanic mummy, estimated to be between 600 to 800 years old, was recovered by police from three drunk men in the Peruvian city of Puno.

Police said that the mummified remains were found in a food delivery bag labelled “Pedidos Ya”. Pedidos Ya is a Latin American food app. The bag belonged to a 26-year-old man.

The 26-year-old man was identified as Julio Cesar, as per AFP reports. He named the mummy remains “Juanita” and called it his “spiritual girlfriend”.

“At home, she’s in my room, she sleeps with me. I take care of her,” he said. Cesar claimed to have had the mummy for over three decades at his home.