Bolivia's Ministry of Cultures and Tourism
authorized the dig more than three months ago after a mining
project discovered archaeological remains in the area.
Archaeologists found the tombs, which they say may have belonged
to the Pacajes people, in an underground burial chamber located
some 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) southwest of Bolivia's capital
La Paz.
"Inside the cemetery we found two special tombs, one of which
had about 108 individuals inside. They were badly deteriorated,
but we were able to recover objects the individuals were buried
with," said archaeologist Wanderson Esquerdo.
While two of the tombs had been ransacked, the others remained
intact, he said.
To reach the tombs, scientists had to lower themselves through a
circular chimney just 70 cm (27.5 inches) in diameter and 3
meters (9 feet) deep.
In addition to human remains, the largest tomb contained metal
objects as well as ceramic and wooden dishes.
"There are objects that are clearly attributed to the Inca
culture, and others that are not Inca, but rather Aymara,"
Esquerdo said.
The indigenous Aymara kingdom of Pacajes flourished in the
Bolivian highlands until it was conquered by the Incan empire in
the mid-15th century, according to archaeologists, who believe
the Pacajes people may have not been wiped out by the Incan
conquest, but could have fallen victim to some type of epidemic.
The discovery is "unique and unprecedented," said Wilma Alanoca,
Bolivia's Minister of Culture and Tourism.
After the archaeological dig began last June, archaeologists
said microorganisms wreaked havoc on the bodies' soft tissue,
quickly decomposing the remains. Excessive humidity and high
salinity inside the chamber also deteriorated many of the buried
objects, according to the dig team.
(Reporting by Danny Ramos, Writing by Scott Squires, editing by
G Crosse)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|