Ancient Three-Dimensional Rock Mural Unearthed in Peru Raises Mysteries About a Lost Civilization 3,000 Years Ago
The Discovery Of This Unique Ancient Mural In Northern Peru
According to a press release from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, an archaeological team led by Dr. Ana Cecilia Mauricio discovered the mural on July 7, 2025, and immediately noted that it was different from anything they had ever seen before.
“This mural at Huaca Yolanda is unique: nothing like it has ever been recorded in the area, neither in the Santa Valley nor in the Chao Valley,” Mauricio said.
Decorations on the mural included stars and what the university described as “fish-like beings” and fishing nets. These features, they say, make the mural “a piece of unexpected sophistication for its time.”
Mauricio and her team dated the mural to around 3,000 to 4,000 years ago (two millennia before the Inca Empire took root), based on the style of its design. This would place its origins in an era known as the Formative Period, when the first complex societies began to emerge along the northern coast of Peru.
The excavations are not yet complete, but Mauricio nevertheless remained confident about this age estimate.
Pontifical Catholic University of PeruThe mural features unique designs not seen elsewhere in Peru.
“Although more excavation is needed to fully determine the wall’s dimensions, there is a very good chance that not only the wall but the entire space where it is located remains intact,” Mauricio told Peru’s Andina News Agency.
“This will allow us to study the architecture, which is also very important, since it is rare in this part of the country to find the interior of a temple more than 3,000 years old and richly decorated.”
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