Ancient burial site packed with treasures plus 38 bodies discovered after centuries

Archaeologists in Peru have uncovered a 600-year-old burial complex holding 38 bodies — including one skeleton whose unusual position has raised questions about the possibility of human sacrifice.The graves were discovered at Chan Chan, an ancient pre-Incan city near Trujillo, Peru, roughly 350 miles north of Lima.Peru's Ministry of Culture announced the discovery earlier this fall, saying the nearly intact Chimú burial site had remained hidden for over six centuries.COLOSSAL TOMB TIED TO ALEXANDER THE GREAT REVEALED BY OFFICIALS: 'UNIQUE AND MAGNIFICENT'Images shared with Fox News Digital by officials at the Ministry of Culture show an assortment of ancient ceramic vessels, including decorated jugs and pottery with sculpted figures.Other photos offer an overhead view of the burial complex, revealing its network of chambers, walls and stairways.Archaeologists in Peru uncovered a 600-year-old burial complex containing 38 bodies at the ancient pre-Incan city of Chan Chan.(Ministerio de Cultura)The burial complex contained three chambers, including a central chamber holding one individual surrounded by artifacts made from shell and metal, according to the Ministry of Culture.One side chamber contained weapons and metal emblems, while another held 20 bodies.

Archaeologists found 18 additional individuals elsewhere in the complex, bringing the total to 38.7,000-YEAR-OLD BONES UNCOVERED AT CONSTRUCTION SITE IN STARTLING FINDOne skeleton stood out because it was buried fully extended, unlike typical Chimú burials, in which bodies were placed in bent or seated positions."This unusual characteristic raises new questions about the circumstances surrounding the individual's death and has led researchers to consider several hypotheses, including the possibility of a sacrificial ritual or an extreme difference in social status compared with the other individuals buried in the same space," the ministry said in a statement translated from Spanish.The burial complex was discov...