Archaeologists discover ruins of 4,000-year-old ceremonial temple

Archaeologists unearthed the buried ruins of a possible 4,000-year-old ceremonial temple in northern Peru.

Thehidden structure also contained human skeletons, hinting at their potential use in religious offerings.

The remains were discovered in the desert district of Zana, in the South American country's Lambayeque region.

"Although radiocarbon dating will provide a definitive age, the unearthed structure in northern Peru appears to be a 4,000-year-old ceremonial temple. This discovery supports evidence suggesting a rich tradition of temple construction along the northern Peruvian coast during that era. The skeletal remains found nearby might be linked to these religious practices," said Luis Muro, an archaeologist from Peru's Pontifical Catholic University.

“The team found the skeletal remains of three adults, between the ruins of the multi-story building, one of which was accompanied by offerings and possibly wrapped in a kind of linen or clothing,” he said.

One of the temple walls sports a high-relief drawing of a mythological figure with a human body and a bird's head, a design which Muro said predates the pre-Hispanic Chavin culture which populated the central Peruvian coast for over half a millennia from around 900 BC.

Muro also reported finding potential remains of another temple nearby, dating to the Late Moche culture that flourished 1,400 years ago on Peru's north coast.

Notably, Northern Peru boasts a rich history, evident in the ruins of ceremonial complexes dating back thousands of years including, the Sacred City of Caral which is about 5,000 years old, while southern Peru's Ica region hosts the Nazca lines, mysterious geoglyphs carved into the desert more than 1,500 years ago.

However, the newly discovered temple sheds light on northern Peru's ancient past, while the crown jewel of Peruvian archaeology lies south in the Cusco region.

Peru is also home to themagnificent Machu Picchu, a mid-15th century Inca citadel and UNESCO World Heritage Site, which continues to captivate people with its breathtaking location and engineering feats.

(With inputs from agencies)