Mystery of the 5,000-Year-Old Elite Woman: Why Was She Buried with a Rare Toucan’s Beak?
A multidisciplinary team is now carrying out further analysis to determine how the woman died, what her health was like at the time, the elements of her diet, and the purposes of the recovered objects.
Fascinating Grave Goods From An Ancient Burial In Peru
Peru Ministry of CultureSome of the grave goods found buried alongside the high-status woman.
According to a translated statement from Peru’s Ministry of Culture, archaeologists were carrying out excavations at the Áspero archaeological site when they came across the woman’s body in the public building Huaca de los Ídolos.
Researchers believe the woman was between 20 and 35 years old when she was interred sometime between 3000 and 1800 B.C.E. Her body was wrapped in several materials, including cotton fabrics, reed mats, and netting. A fiber headdress was also placed on her head. Given the age of the body, the fact that she still had intact skin, nails, and hair is exceptional, as remains of that age in the area have typically been reduced to just bones, according to the statement.
Peru Ministry of CultureA close-up view of the decorated toucan beak found in the grave.
The woman was also buried with a variety of grave goods, most notably a panel embroidered with macaw feathers, a toucan’s beak inlaid with green and brown beads, an Amazonian snail shell, and 30 sweet potatoes.
As archaeologist David Palomino told Reuters, “This is an important burial because it has elements that correspond to a woman of high status.”
This adds to the evidence that women played a key role in the ancient Caral civilization.
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