LA LIBERTAD, PERU—The Guardian reports that a 3,200-year-old mural on a mudbrick structure situated near a river in northwestern Peru depicts a knife-wielding spider god associated with rain and fertility. The image was painted with yellow, grey, and white paint in addition to ochre. Archaeologist Régulo Franco Jordán said the structure, named Tomabalito, was a shrine built by the Cupisnique culture. “It’s likely that there was a special, sacred water ceremony held between January and March when the rains came down from the higher areas,” Jordán said. Much of the site was destroyed last fall by farmers with heavy machinery, he added. To read about a feline geoglyph recently restored in southern Peru, go to "Cat's Eye View."
3,200-Year-Old Spider Mural Identified in Peru
News March 25, 2021
SHARE:
Recommended Articles
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2021
The Spider's on the Wall
(Feren Castillo)
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2024
The Song in the Stone
(AdobeStock)
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2023
Update: Temple Times Two
(Courtesy Lisa Trever)
-
-
Features January/February 2021
Return to the River
Members of Virginia’s Rappahannock tribe are at work with archaeologists to document the landscape they call home
(Courtesy Julia King) -
Letter from Woodhenge January/February 2021
Stonehenge's Continental Cousin
A 4,000-year-old ringed sanctuary reveals a German village’s surprising connections with Britain
(Photo Matthias Zirn) -
Artifacts January/February 2021
Inca Box with Votive Offerings
(Courtesy Teddy Seguin/Université Libre de Bruxelles)