Preserved in what is now Peru

An international team of archaeologists led by Józef Szykulski of the University of Wrocław, in Poland, have discovered 150 mummies in the Tambo River delta in the northern region of the Atacama Desert in Peru (PHOTOS HERE). The naturally mummified remains date from the 4th to the 7th centuries A.D., predating the Tiwanaku and Inca civilizations by almost 500 years. The bodies had been buried wrapped in cotton veils, reed mats, and fishing nets accompanied by numerous grave goods:

• Quivers with bows and arrows tipped with obsidian heads
• Maces with stone or copper finials
• Weaving tools
• Copper and gold jewelry
• Decorated and intact pottery

Other then determining the identity of the pre-Columbian civilization, Szykulski comments, "We learned a lot about what equipment had been used, such as baskets and fishing nets, what these people were doing, which was agriculture and fishing, how they dressed, what ornaments they wore and even how they combed their hair."

Posted with Blogsy