Peru

Mummified Children Found in Peru May Have Been a Sacrificial Escort to The Underworld

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Six mummified children thought to have been sacrificed hundreds of years ago, apparently to accompany a dead nobleman to the afterlife, have been unearthed in a tomb near Lima, archaeologists reported.   The tiny skeletons, wrapped tightly in cloth, were found in the grave of an important man, possibly a political figure, discovered last November … Read more

Human Spines Found Mounted on Sticks in Peru, And Archaeologists Think They Know Why

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People in the Chincha valley of Peru threaded the spines of the dead onto wooden rods around 500 years ago, a mostly-unknown practice only recently documented by archaeologists.   It may have been an attempt to restore the bodies of the dead during the European colonization, according to a study by the researchers who unearthed … Read more

Vets Race to Save Endangered Birds Caught in Oil Spill Off The Coast of Peru

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A Lima zoo is racing to save dozens of seabirds, including protected penguins, left covered in oil after 6,000 barrels of crude spilled off Peru’s coast in the aftermath of the Tonga tsunami.   More than 40 birds, including Humboldt penguins – listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature – were brought … Read more

Archaeology: Ancient Andean leaders may have mixed hallucinogen with their beer

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A concoction of vilca seeds and fermented alcohol may have provided a mild hallucinogenic experience, enabling Wari leaders in South America to bond with their people Humans 12 January 2022 By Michael Marshall Anadenanthera colubrina, a tree species common to nearly all regions of South American Matt Lavin/Flickr Get high, make friends. Members of the … Read more