The ancient remains of a woman believed have held a significant status within the pre-Columbian Caral civilization have been unearthed in the Áspero archaeological site in Peru.
The woman measures just shy of five-feet-tall and is estimated to have died between the ages of 20-35. Her body was found in a grave covered with a piece of fabric elaborately embroidered with blue macaw feathers, and adorned with a headdress of intertwined fibers. Wrapped in crisscrossing plant fiber bundles, she was laid to rest in the fetal position in keeping with ritualized funerary practices among high-status individuals. Her skin, hair, and nails were notably still intact, too.
The woman was buried with a funerary bundle containing four reed baskets, a needle with incised designs, a snail shell from the Amazon River, a toucan beak with inlaid green and brown beads, a wool textile, a fishing net, more than 30 sweet potatoes, and weaving tools. These offerings not only hold great value, but indicate a far-reaching trade network connecting the ancient Peruvian coast with the jungle and possibly the Andes.
The macaw feathered fabric and plant fiber bundles are among the oldest examples of feather work from the Andes. This, along with the headdress, demonstrate a highly skilled level of specialized techniques.
“The characteristics of the offerings and the funerary treatment indicate that the woman was a figure of high social rank, reinforcing the evidence of the leading female role in this ancient Andean society,” Peru’s Ministry of Culture said in a statement.
Further study of the tomb and its contents will focus on the health, diet, and funeral practices of the Caral.
Áspero is an ancient coastal town settled by the Caral peoples roughly half a mile from the Pacific Ocean along Peru’s coast. Over the last 20 years, the site has been the subject of archaeological excavation and study. They have found that the society had a highly developed culture, with complex trade networks, skills artisans, and women playing key roles in the social structure.
Dating back about 5,000 years, around the height of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, the Caral civilization is one of the oldest known in the Americas.
Earlier finds at Áspero include 22 architectural complexes and tombs of two other elite individuals identified in 2016 and 2019.
