Peruvian, Japanese archaeologists find pre-Incan ancestor worship site in Peru dating to 800-1000 AD

The archaeologists say they have found an ancestor worship site in Peru dating back to the Wari period before it was conquered by the Inca empire

Among their findings are burial chambers over two levels, and offerings such as mollusc shells and ceramic fragments

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Human remains found by Peruvian and Japanese archaeologists in a pre-Hispanic site at the Jequetepeque Valley in Cajamarca, Peru. Photo: Peruvian Ministry of Culture/AFP

Published: 1:53pm, 3 Sep 2023

A team of Peruvian and Japanese archaeologists has unearthed a pre-Hispanic archaeological site in northern Peru dedicated to ancestor worship, with burial chambers, human remains and ceramic offerings.

“We have discovered an archaeological site of the Wari period with an antiquity of between 800 to 1000 years AD” in the Cajamarca region 900 kilometres (560 miles) north of Lima, Japanese archaeologist Shinya Watanabe said on Saturday.

“Two burial chambers with pits for placing mummies and offerings to the ancestors were found at the site,” the expert said.

Each of the burial chambers contains two levels, and both have five niches in the walls that contain offerings such as mollusc shells, ceramic fragments and a tripod dish with three conical supports.

“It is a great find because the archaeologists were looking for evidence of the Wari culture,” said Watanabe, who is a professor at Nanzan University in Japan.

A ceramic vase with a human face discovered by Peruvian and Japanese archaeologists in a pre-Hispanic site from the Jequetepeque Valley in Cajamarca, Peru. Photo: Peruvian Ministry of Culture/AFP

A bundle containing a female character, a black Wari ceremonial vessel, two musical ceramic wind instruments, and two copper fasteners were also found.

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