Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a temple dating back some 5,000 years in northwestern Peru, a researcher said, adding that the building was likely used for religious rituals.
The discovery took place a few weeks ago at the archaeological site Los Paredones in Otra Banda – Las Animas near Chiclayo. But it was not announced until yesterday, Friday, to protect the place from treasure looters.
“We are probably looking at a religious monument dating back 5,000 years,” researcher Luis Moro said in a video released by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, adding that “the architectural space is delimited by walls” made of clay.
From what remains of the temple, archaeologists have identified sculptures with prominent shapes, including a human body with the head of a bird, representations of cats, or even reptile claws.
Moro said that the team of archaeologists also found the remains of what “may be a central staircase through which one can ascend to what looks like a platform in the central part” of the temple.
The buried body of a child, aged approximately five or six, was also found during the excavation, which was funded by a university in Peru and the University of California, Los Angeles, in the United States.
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