Archaeology in the news: a tomb in Peru

Appearing in the Edmonton Journal on January 20, 2011 is a story titled "Ancient noble's tomb found in Peru."

The 1,100 year old tomb is believed to belong to a pre-columbian lord and is located in the Lambayeque's Bosque de Pomac historical sanctuary in northern Peru.

The remains of the Sican lord were discovered in a sitting position on a litter, along with silver and gold artifacts, a crown, and a mask. Litters were the preferred method of transportation among elites during this time, thus the presence of the litter and other grave goods signifies wealth and high status.

Above: the mask discovered in the tomb, courtesty of Pimental Beach Press

The importance of this find for archaeologists is its close link to the beginning of the construction of a large nearby pyramid known as Las Ventanas. The director of the project said the discovery may give some insight as to the socio-political structure at the time.

In general, any archaeological find, especially those of antiquity, are of interest to the media and general public. Such finds can reveal secrets about the past that we are always curious to discover. Whether this particular discovery caught the attention of the public and held it is probably something that must be considered on a case-by-case basis. Those who have an interest in South American history and prehistory may be fascinated by this burial and continue to keep updated on any further related finds. I was only able to find one general article on the discovery, however it was published in many newspapers worldwide including:

Edmonton Journal
Pimental Beach Press
Archaeology Daily News
The Ottawa Citizen
The Brunei Times

Since the find is relatively recent, it may take some time for more articles to be produced on the subject.