According to a team of archaeologists, skeletal human remains buried in the sand in northern Peru that might have been offerings for religious rites have been found alongside the remnants of what appears to be a 4,000-year-old ceremonial temple.
Reports from the Field Museum in Chicato said that the discovery was made at the archaeological site La Otra Banda, Cerro Las Animas, close to the city of Chiclayo off the northern coast of Peru.
Researchers began excavating the site last month after receiving a tip from the local authorities about looting near the historic town of Zaña. The local authorities told the scientists to study the area before it was destroyed.
The excavation, led by research scientist Luis Muro Ynoñán, said that the walls made of mud and clay were discovered six feet below the surface. Evidence also suggested that the building was previously the location of an old temple.
In a statement, Muro Ynoñan claimed it was surprising that the ancient structures were so close to the modern surface. He said that they think a large temple was built on the side of the mountain, and they found one section of it.
According to the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, or Ministerio de Cultura, the temple was the site of special ceremonies.
The team also discovered what looked to be a small theater with a "stage-like platform." Muro Ynoñan said this could have been used to perform ritual performances in front of a selected audience.
One of the most intriguing discoveries was a mythical bird creature carved into a mud panel near one of the theater's staircases. Muro Ynoñán described it as an "anthropomorphic bird" with "some reptilian features."
He and his team have found similar representations of the mythological creature in earlier archaeological discoveries around 4,000 years ago during the Initial Period.
Furthermore, he noted that the results might clarify unsolved concerns about the origins of prehistoric religion in Peru.
