Millennium-old mummy found in Peru in a fetal position

Surprising discovery of a mummy dated around 1000 years old in a tomb in the city of Cajamarquilla in Peru. A man aged between 18 and 22 years old is found in a fetal position by researchers during their archaeological excavations.

A mummy preserved in good conditions

In a statement made public by the authors of the discovery, the mummy was found in a grave underground. The update carried out by the scientists indicates that it would have been buried between 1,200 and 800. The studies also specify that it is about a young man between 18 and 22 years old at the time of his death.

Most surprisingly, the mummy was found in a fetal position with the body rolled up in rope. This is a traditional practice in the region used by locals to bury their dead, according to researchers. At the same time, they also found the remains of dogs, corn, vegetables and an Andean guinea pig in the underground tomb.

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Mortuary traditions practiced in Cajamarquilla

When a person dies in the town of Cajamarquilla, the grieving family performs a series of mortuary rites. The most common is the offering to the dead, a practice that is repeated “over and over again for many years” according to Van Dalen Luna. The descendants bring their deceased relative food, offerings and even shellfish.

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For information, Cajamarquilla has in the past been a prosperous town near the right bank of the Rimac river. Previously, it brought together around 10,000 inhabitants and was the meeting place for several people. The inhabitants of coastal and mountainous regions came there for their commercial activities.