The mummy preserved in extremely good conditions was found at the Cajamarquilla archaeological site about 24 km from Lima. According to archaeologist Van Dalen Luna at the University of San Marcos, this mummy most likely comes from the Chaclla civilization that developed in the Andes around Lima 800 – 1,200 years ago.

“The main feature of the mummy is that the entire body is wrapped in rope with both hands covering the face. It is part of the local funeral ritual. The results of carbon dating will give the date more accurate,” Luna said.

Although the research team has not been able to determine the mummy’s gender, it is possible that this is an adult man. The mummy lies in an underground tomb sitting like a fetus. Rope has been used to hold mummies in a bent position for thousands of years. The mummy was buried with many offerings such as pottery, stone tools and water bottles containing traces of vegetables.

The Cajamarquilla site is located on a trade route connecting the high Andes mountains with cities in the coastal region. It became an important commercial center in the period from 1000 to 1470. The prosperity of the land was reflected in its large public buildings, boulevards and squares.

Both the fetal position and rope wrapping were common burial practices among the pre-Hispanic people of the high Andes. Thus, the mummy shows that Cajamarquilla was inhabited not only by coastal people but also by people with roots in the Andes mountains. It is possible that Cajamarquilla’s role as a commercial center connected the sea and mountains, attracting people from the Andes to settle there.