4,500 year old woman’s mummy discovered in Peru

Peru has another attraction for tourists this season. Archeologists in Peru have found the mummy of a 4,500 year old woman. She is believed to have been between the ages of 40-50 years when she died. It seems that she belonged to a distinguished family with high social standing.

The woman’s grave has carvings of four broaches made of bone with animal motifs representing birds and monkeys. The grave has been found in Aspero, which is the Caral civilisations ancient fishing town.

The woman’s grave was accompanied by a pot containing vegetable fragments and seeds, a shell-beaded necklace and a pendant made of Spondylus.

This discovery would help archeologists understand the Caral civilization better felt Ruth Shady, the director of the Caral Archaeological Zone who chanced upon the ancient woman along with her team of archeologists. The finding gives evidences of an equal society during those ages where both men and women were treated equally and were given the opportunity to attain high standing in society more than 1000 years ago.

The objects found in the grave throw further light on the Socio-political condition where trade was carried out as the objects were bought from places outside Aspero. The city of Caral is said to have the most ancient civilization which dates back between 2,600 BC and 2,000 BC, predating the Incas. Music was an integral part of their lives. The discovery of eight flutes made of animal bones placed as offerings in front of a ceremonial enclosure at the archaeological site prove how important music was for the civilization.