CAJAMARCA, PERU—According to an AFP report, an intact tomb dated to some 3,000 years ago has been discovered at Pacopampa by a team of Peruvian and Japanese archaeologists. Nine monumental ceremonial buildings, the burial of the so-called Lady of Pacopampa, and the remains of a man buried with musical instruments and the shells of large sea snails from Ecuador have also been found at the site, which is situated in the Andes Mountains at an altitude of some 8,200 feet. This burial is thought to belong to a priest. “The find is extremely important because he is one of the first priests to begin to control the temples in the country’s northern Andes,” said archaeologist Yuji Seki. The body had been placed in the circular tomb in a flexed position. Small, spherical ceramic bowls; a carved bone spatula; a seal bearing the image of an anthropomorphic face; and a seal bearing an image of a jaguar were also placed in the tomb. To read about a Wari man's burial that was uncovered on Peru's northern coast, go to "Tomb of the Craftworkers," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2022.
