Archaeologists have discovered a multistory ceremonial temple and human skeletal remains beneath a dune in Peru's Los Paredones de la Otra Banda-Las Ánimas Archaeological Complex.
The temple is estimated to be around 5,000 years old, making it significantly older than the famous Chichen Itza site in Mexico.
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A team of archeologists work on what appear to be parts of a 4,000-year-old ceremonial temple buried in a sand dune of northern Peru, in Lambayeque, Peru
(Photo: Peru's Pontifical Catholic University/Handout via REUTERS)
The temple features intricate friezes depicting anthropomorphic figures with bird heads, feline features, and reptilian claws, suggesting its use for specialized ceremonies.
Human burials containing offerings wrapped in cloth were also found, indicating possible sacrificial rituals.
The site also includes architecture from the Moche period (600-700 A.D.), such as a child's burial and a finely plastered wall with pictorial designs.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Live Science, Daily Caller, Diario Uno, Panamericana, El Comercio, Tienphong, El Vocero, MDZ Online, La Nación, BioBioChile, La República, Europa Press, Peru21