The discovery of this mummy not only shocked the archaeological world but also attracted the attention of the public everywhere.

Discovered mummy at the top of the pyramid

According to Smithsonian Mag, during an excavation in early 2023, at the Huaca Pucllana archaeological site, Peru, archaeologists unexpectedly discovered a mummy belonging to the Ychsma culture. This mummy rests atop a clay pyramid more than 21 meters high in the Miraflores district of Lima.

The mummy was placed in a rather shallow tomb chamber, next to important items: two ceramic vases and a cloth covering metal items. The special feature that surprised archaeologists was that the mummy’s hair and teeth were still intact. The mummy with long brown hair shows the sophisticated and thorough mummification process of the Ychsma culture, although the gender remains a mystery.

Close-up of mummy found at the top of a pyramid in Peru. (Photo: ABC News)

Sharing with ABC news, archaeologist Mirella Ganoza said that from the remaining ruins, they initially determined that the mummy was about 1,000 years old and belonged to the Ychsma culture. To create the tomb, part of the structure was destroyed.

At that time, the Ychsma people living in this area are said to have built at least 16 pyramids and dominated Peru’s central coast until the rise of the Inca Empire.

The archaeological site was built around 500 AD, located in the center of Miraflores.

Video finds a thousand-year-old mummy with intact hair on top of the pyramid (Source: New York Post).

Huaca Pucllana, a historical building with terracotta brick walls contains many secrets of three cultures: Lima, Wari and finally Ychsma. This area has gone through three periods of inhabitation in the era before the Spanish colonial invasion. The first period is the Lima culture, who built and settled at Huaca Pucllana between 400 and 700. Next is the Huari culture (800 – 900). Finally, evidence of the Ychsma culture at Huaca Pucllana was found from the early second millennium.

The structure consists of 7 alternating steps, built by people of the Lima culture in the central coastal region of Peru. This place used to be a ceremonial center before turning into a cemetery.

Panorama of Huaca Pucllana, an archaeological site in a residential area where a 1,000-year-old mummy was discovered. (Photo: ABC News)

The position of the mummy suggests that this person may have held an important position in ancient society. Although information about their age and role is still unknown, their presence at the top of the pyramid tells a story about the ancient people’s concept of life, death and spirituality.

Through a combination of modern technology and traditional knowledge, archaeologists are gradually decoding the remaining mysteries, promising to bring many insights into Ychsma culture and the history of the region. .