Researchers uncover 600-year-old burial site in Peru holding 38 bodies including one who may have been sacrificed

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.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.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.Another chamber contained weapons and metal emblems, while a third held 20 bodies.Archaeologists reported finding 38 individuals across the site.One 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 goods included metal headdresses, earrings, necklaces, carved wooden boxes and ceremonial objects made from seashells and quartz.Some of the buried individuals also had red pigment on their heads, which officials said was “used exclusively in high-ranking burials in Andean societies.”Officials added that the fragile remains must be carefully documen...