Culture Ministry archaeologists discovered 16 ancient tombs belonging to Chinese immigrants at Huaca Bellavista in Lima's eastern district of Santa Anita.
The skeletons date back to more than 100 years ago, according to
Huaca Bellavista restoration project spokespersons.
The find included 16 sets of
bodily remains, five of which were placed in 1.8-meter-long black coffins of trapezoidal shape, said Roxana Gomez, the person in charge of the intervention.
One of the coffins contained a pipe that lied next to a 5-cm-diameter brown porcelain container and a white saddlebag.
The remaining 11 individuals were buried directly into the ground. Their bodies were wearing personal clothes such as shirts, jackets and different folded fabrics.
Plus, they were covered by a thick brown fabric and a vegetable fiber cloth.
Asian immigrants
The restoration project found out the top of the archaeological site used to be a cemetery used by Asian immigrants.
The newcomers arrived to work on arable lands at Hacienda Zavala ranch in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Gomez explained the Chinese were not allowed to be buried in regular cemeteries at that time, since they were not catholic.
(END) NDP/SMS/LIT/RMB/MVB
Published: 8/24/2017