El Castillo de Huarmey

El Castillo de Huarmey (English: "the Castle on the River Huarmey") is a pyramid mausoleum on the coast of Peru, in the Ancash Region north of Lima which was discovered in an undisturbed condition. The 45-hectare (110-acre) area round the tomb has been the target of looters for decades.^[1] The team named the site, which provided evidence of the Wari Empire before 1000 A.D. and the rise of the Inca Empire, the "Temple of the Dead". El Castillo de Huarmey was excavated in secret over the course of several months in 2013 to prevent looting.^[2]

In January 2010, Giersz's team located what appeared to be subterranean tomb using aerial photographs and geophysical imaging tools on a ridge between two other pyramids. The ridge had long been a dumping site for rubble for tomb robbers. In September 2012 the team found a stone throne room. Below this was a chamber sealed by tons of loose stone fill.^[1] The burial chamber of the royal tomb was discovered in early 2013 by a Peruvian-Polish research team, which was led by Milosz Giersz of Poland's University of Warsaw and co-director Roberto Pimentel Nita and funded by the National Geographic Society.^[2]

The tomb contained 1,200 artifacts, including gold earrings, bronze axes, jewelry made of copper and silver, and silver bowls.^[2] The tomb contained 60 human bodies buried in rows in a seated position and clothed in deteroriating textiles. Three side chambers contained three bodies of royal Wari women whose bodies were accompanied by prized possessions, including gold weaving tools. Giersz said "We are talking about the first unearthed royal imperial tomb." The richness of this mausoleum is a strong indication of the extent to which the Wari controlled this part of northern Peru. Giersz found evidence that the royal bodies had been repeatedly removed from the burial chambers, presumably for royal displays, an indication of royal ancestor worship.^[1]

See also

• 2013 in archaeology
• Huarmey
• Wari culture

References