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The remains of eleven individuals, estimated to be around 800
years old, were found buried with necklaces, earrings and
bracelets, according to lead archeologist Sinthya Cueva.
"These were probably members of the Chimu's governing class,"
she said, pointing to the adornments found with them.
Cueva did not detail the materials used to craft them. Chimu-era
jewelry unearthed in other excavations was often made of bronze
or gold.
The discovery was made in the Chimu capital of Chan Chan, a
short distance north of the modern Peruvian city of Trujillo.
The ancient capital is known for its elaborate mud-brick
architecture that once formed one of the largest adobe cities in
the world.
Cueva said the remains had been "disturbed" and showed signs of
violent death, adding they were located in a part of the city
that does not have the common characteristics of a cemetery.
The discovery was made as part of an excavation that began in
April and which aims to restore the perimeter walls of a palace
complex.
The Chimu flourished along the coastal plains of northern Peru,
from around 800 AD through the 1400s, and are famed for their
ornate art, including ceramics, metalwork and textiles, in
addition to their use of highly productive terrace agriculture
and long-distance trade networks along the Pacific coast.
They were subjugated by the Inca in the late 1400s, several
decades before Spanish invaders conquered the Inca in 1532.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by David Alire Garcia;
Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
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