Peru: Chimu sacrifice discovered in Viru's preceramic temple

Photo: Luis Puell

09:30 | Viru (La Libertad region), Apr. 14.

Surprising new findings in Viru province, La Libertad region, northern Peru. Peruvian researchers have discovered the remains of an individual who, following a sacrificial ceremony, was buried at the northeast corner of Huaca El Cerrito 2. Recent excavations also confirmed that this site may be 4,000 years old, making it the second-oldest adobe building in this region.

Feren Castillo Lujan, director of the Viru Valley Archaeological Project (PAVI), told Andina News Agency that the sacrifice found by his team in Excavation Unit No. 2 was a young man between 20 and 25 years old, found in a prone position, with bent legs, arms seemingly tied at the abdomen, and his face turned downward.

"It appears to be a human burial that took place after the temple's occupation. Due to the position of the individual, we suspect it possibly dates to the Late Chimu period, between 1300 to 1400 AD," the archaeologist and professor at the National University of Trujillo (UNT) stated.

The researcher indicated that the sacrificed young Chimu man, whom the team has nicknamed Victor Manuel, was also found with remnants of plain textiles at the level of the knee and one shoulder. However, due to the poor state of preservation, it has not been possible to determine whether the textile had designs, was used to wrap the body, or was part of the victim's clothing.

"So far, we have found nine human burials in the three excavation seasons at archaeological sites in the Viru valley, but this is the first one with signs of having been a sacrifice," he noted.

From the Late Preceramic period

One of the objectives of the excavations at Huaca El Cerrito 2, formerly known as San Francisco, is to determine the construction sequence of this site, which was declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation on April 20, 2009, as part of the undergraduate thesis of Joisie Mori.

The starting point was a looters' pit from 40 years ago, which was redefined as Excavation Unit 1, through which it was determined that the temple has up to five superimposed buildings.

"In Building 5, which is the earliest, we have identified a corridor with walls from two rooms, whose corners are curved —a very interesting feature of buildings constructed during the Late Preceramic (period)," Mori emphasized.

After that, Castillo Lujan continued, the first building was buried by a floor, and some architecture was constructed that, unfortunately, was destroyed by looting.

"In the end, there were a series of three additional constructive renovations, which made us think that an additional structure had been built in the upper part, associated with the later occupations,"

Yellow Walls

Thesis student Joisie Mori revealed that in Excavation Unit No. 2, fragments of walls plastered with ochre yellow were found, along with white pigment spheres, which are indicators that this building may have been coated in those colors.

Similarly, she mentioned that, due to the lack of additional iconographic painting, it can be proposed that Huaca El Cerrito 2 may have played a secondary role, and that the administrative, religious, and power center was at Huaca Tomabal, where polychrome and iconographic painting has been found.

Research Progress

This discovery is part of PAVI’s 2023–2028 five-year plan, led by the professor from the National University of Trujillo and PhD candidate at the University of Rennes, Feren Castillo Lujan. This plan aims to study the emergence of social complexity during the Late Preceramic or Early period in the Viru Valley.

With this discovery, four of the seven sites with monumental architecture from this period in the valley have been explored.

Taking part in this work are thesis students Joisie Mori, Astrid Vergara, Christian Gonzalez, and Victor Leon. Other participants include Eddie Carranza, Erika Diaz, Bruno Rojas, Anthony Rodriguez, Avril Mendez, Bruno Avila, and Alex Meza; and graduates Oswaldo Ezeta and Kelly Castañeda.

(END) LPZ/MAO/JMP/MVB

Published: 4/14/2025

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Peru: Chimu sacrifice discovered in Viru's preceramic temple

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