Archaeologists in Peru have discovered four mummies of children, believed to be over 1,000 years old, in what was once a sacred ceremonial space in one of the oldest neighborhoods of modern-day Lima. The children were found alongside the remains of an adult and are believed to be from the Ychsma culture that existed on Peru’s central coast before the rise of the Inca Empire.
The remains were unearthed at the foot of a staircase on a small hill, which is thought to have once hidden a temple built 3,500 years ago. According to archaeologist Luis Takuda, the area was a significant ceremonial chamber and the people from the Ychsma period considered it a sacred space for burial. The mummies still had hair on their skulls and were found with ceramics.
Lima, with a population of about 10 million, is home to approximately 400 archaeological ruins. Peru’s largest archaeological sites are located outside Lima, in places such as Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire.