After a four-year search, a team of student archaeologists has made an incredible discovery in northern Peru.
In a village in Lambayeque, excavators led by Swiss archaeologist Sam Ghavami found a 1,000-year-old mural known as Huaca Pintada that had been lost for a long time.
The 30-meter long pre-hispanic fresco depicts mythical scenes, including a bird-like deity surrounded by warriors, in blue, brown, red, white and mustard yellow colors, which are still very well preserved.
“It is an exceptional discovery, especially because it is rare to find murals of such quality in pre-Columbian archaeology,” said Ghavami from the University of Fribourg.
The paintings “appear to be inspired by the idea of a sacred hierarchy based on an ancestral cult and its close ties to the forces of nature,” he added.
How was Huaca Pintada discovered?
The existence of the mural became known in 1916 through a series of black and white photographs by the German ethnologist Hans Heinrich Brüning, who lived in Peru when he found out about the site after treasure hunters had tried to plunder it but found nothing of value.
Over the years, thick foliage gained the upper hand, and no one had tried to search for the paintings until it piqued Ghavami’s interest and he set out to search for the long-lost fresco.
At first, however, he had a long fight to get permission from the family, who owns the land where the mural was found.
It took Ghavami and his team a total of four years to find the legendary rock painting.
What is the meaning of the discovery?
The excavation was described as one of the “most exciting and important finds in recent years.”
“It is an exceptional discovery, especially because it is rare to find murals of such quality in pre-Columbian archaeology,” explains Ghavami.
In addition to its excellent condition, the mural also bears witness to the development and development of an ancient Peruvian cultural phenomenon. In fact, the fresco is thought to be part of the Huaca Pintada Temple, which belonged to the Moche Civilization, which flourished between the 1st and 8th centuries.
However, the discovery also reveals a mix of styles and elements of two pre-Inca cultures: the Moche and the Lambayeque, who lived on the northern coast of Peru between 900 and 1350 AD.
Ghavami has explained that deciphering the mural’s message will be part of his research on the socio-cultural changes in Lambayeque. However, he believes it “could be interpreted as a metaphorical image of the political and religious order of the region’s ancient inhabitants.”
The site has currently been covered up for conservation. It is likely to regain its former glory and will eventually be made available to the public.
Watch the video above to take a closer look at the extraordinary discovery.
After a four-year search, a team of student archaeologists has made an incredible discovery in northern Peru.
In a village in Lambayeque, excavators led by Swiss archaeologist Sam Ghavami found a 1,000-year-old mural known as Huaca Pintada that had been lost for a long time.
The 30-meter long pre-hispanic fresco depicts mythical scenes, including a bird-like deity surrounded by warriors, in blue, brown, red, white and mustard yellow colors, which are still very well preserved.
“It is an exceptional discovery, especially because it is rare to find murals of such quality in pre-Columbian archaeology,” said Ghavami from the University of Fribourg.
The paintings “appear to be inspired by the idea of a sacred hierarchy based on an ancestral cult and its close ties to the forces of nature,” he added.
How was Huaca Pintada discovered?
The existence of the mural became known in 1916 through a series of black and white photographs by the German ethnologist Hans Heinrich Brüning, who lived in Peru when he found out about the site after treasure hunters had tried to plunder it but found nothing of value.
Over the years, thick foliage gained the upper hand, and no one had tried to search for the paintings until it piqued Ghavami’s interest and he set out to search for the long-lost fresco.
At first, however, he had a long fight to get permission from the family, who owns the land where the mural was found.
It took Ghavami and his team a total of four years to find the legendary rock painting.
What is the meaning of the discovery?
The excavation was described as one of the “most exciting and important finds in recent years.”
“It is an exceptional discovery, especially because it is rare to find murals of such quality in pre-Columbian archaeology,” explains Ghavami.
In addition to its excellent condition, the mural also bears witness to the development and development of an ancient Peruvian cultural phenomenon. In fact, the fresco is thought to be part of the Huaca Pintada Temple, which belonged to the Moche Civilization, which flourished between the 1st and 8th centuries.
However, the discovery also reveals a mix of styles and elements of two pre-Inca cultures: the Moche and the Lambayeque, who lived on the northern coast of Peru between 900 and 1350 AD.
Ghavami has explained that deciphering the mural’s message will be part of his research on the socio-cultural changes in Lambayeque. However, he believes it “could be interpreted as a metaphorical image of the political and religious order of the region’s ancient inhabitants.”
The site has currently been covered up for conservation. It is likely to regain its former glory and will eventually be made available to the public.
Watch the video above to take a closer look at the extraordinary discovery.