Peru’s capital, Lima, has been described by some archaeologists as an onion with multiple layers of history, while others liken it to a box of surprises.

Recently, gas line workers in the city made an unexpected discovery when their excavation unearthed eight pre-Inca funeral bales.

“We are recovering those leaves of the lost history of Lima that is just hidden under the tracks and streets,” said Jesus Bahamonde, an archaeologist at Calidda, the company responsible for distributing natural gas in the city of 10 million residents.

Over the course of the past 19 years, the company’s excavation efforts to expand its gas line system have yielded over 1,900 archaeological findings, including mummies, pottery, and textiles.

Most of these discoveries have been linked to burial sites located on level ground, the Associated Press reports.

In addition to these finds, the city boasts more than 400 larger archaeological sites, known as “huacas” in the Indigenous Quechua language.

These adobe constructions are situated atop hills considered sacred places and are scattered throughout the urban landscape.

The abundance of relics discovered is not unexpected given the extensive history of the Lima region.

This area has been inhabited for over 10,000 years, first by pre-Inca civilizations, followed by the Inca Empire, and later by the colonial culture introduced by Spanish conquerors in 1535.

Bahamonde presented the ancient bales containing human remains, where individuals were found seated, wrapped in cotton fabric, and secured with ropes crafted from lianas.

These discoveries were made in trenches approximately 30 centimeters (nearly a foot) beneath the surface.

Calidda’s team of archaeologists believes that these findings are associated with the pre-Inca culture known as Ichma.

The Ichma culture emerged around A.D. 1100 and thrived in the valleys of what is now Lima until its assimilation into the Inca Empire during the late 15th century, as documented by scholars.

Written by staff