See photos of the 1,000-year-old mummy uncovered in Peru
An over 1,000-year-old mummy of a woman was unexpectedly found during the installation of gas pipelines in Lima, Peru, according to Peru gas company Calidda.
An over 1,000-year-old mummy of a woman was unexpectedly found during the installation of gas pipelines in Lima, Peru, according to Peru gas company Calidda.
"She was approximately 20 to 25 years old, belonging to the Chancay culture, and (the mummy) is estimated to be between 900 and 1,000 years old," according to Jesus Bahamonde, an archaeologist employed by Calidda.
The pipeline installation was halted following the discovery to allowing experts to expand the excavation area and recover artifacts, the company said.
The burial site contained vessels and crustacean remnants, providing some insight into her diet.
The Chancay were a pre-Hispanic civilization that thrived on the central coast of Peru, near the current city of Lima, from approximately 1000 to 1470 CE, according to archaeologists.
Emerging after the fall of the Wari civilization, they had a centralized political structure and engaged in extensive trade, but their culture declined in the late 15th century as the Inca Empire expanded into their territory, according to archaeologists.
