150 mummies of an ancient and unknown culture have been unearthed in the Atacama Desert by a team of archaeologists from Poland, Peru and Colombia.
This unprecedent archeological site discovered is that of an unknown culture that predates the Tiwanaku and Inca civilization by almost 500 years.
Mummification occured naturally (bodies buried directly in the sand, wrapped in cotton veils, reed mats or fishing nets. The oldest mummified body date from 4th century AD and the youngest from 7th century AD.
The bodies were found in the Tambo River delta by a team of archeologists working on the Project Tambo (excavation around the Tambo River). the first mummies were discovered in 2012, but the major discovery was unearthed in March 2014.
Accompanying the bodies are numerous richly decorated goods such as jewelry, pottery, bows, arrows with obsidian heads, and maces with stone or copper finials. Bows possibly symbolised power. Were these people rich and healthy? This is still unknown!
Archeologists will go back digging this large cemetery and other archeological sites around to unearth any new details and information about this newly discovered unknown civilisation.
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