Scientists do not hide their surprise at the peculiarities of the find
Archaeologists in Peru have discovered the remains of a temple and theater that they believe are 4,000 years old, shedding new light on the origins of complex religions in the region . In June, the team began exploring the new archaeological site of La Otra Banda, Cerro Las Animas. Last year, local authorities warned them about looting that was taking place near the northern Peruvian city of Zanya, the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois, said in a press release recently.
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Members of an archaeological expedition excavated an area approximately 33 feet long and 33 feet wide, finding traces of ancient walls made of clay at a depth of just six feet, CNN reports.
“It was so surprising that these very ancient the structures were so close to the modern surface,” said Luis Muro Inonian, a Field Museum researcher who led the team, in a press release.
According to Muro Inonyan, after deeper excavations, archaeologists discovered “one section” large temple, adding that “one of the most exciting” The finds included a small theater «with a backstage area and a staircase that led to a stage-like platform.»
“This could have been used for ritual performances before a select audience,”, he added.
According to a press release, one of the theater's staircases was lined with clay panels intricately carved with a mythological bird-like creature. The figure resembled other mythological creatures dating to the Primordial Period, from about 2000 to 900 B.C., providing clues to when the temple was built.
«The Primordial Period is important because that's when we first start seeing evidence of institutionalized religion in Peru,» Muro Inonyan said, adding that the discovery «tells us about the early origins of religion» in the region.
“We still know very little about how and under what circumstances complex belief systems emerged in the Andes, and we now have evidence of some of the earliest religious spaces that people created in this part of the world,” he said.
These finds predate the country's most famous archaeological site, the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, which is believed to have been built by the Inca Empire in the 15th century, by about 3,500 years. According to researchers, they also belong to the pre-Incan Moche and Nazca cultures, CNN reports.
“We don't know what these people called themselves or how other people treated them. “Everything we know about them is based on what they created: their houses, temples and burial goods,” said Muro Inonyan.
The scientist added that “the people here created complex religious systems and ideas about one’s cosmos,” and religion is “an important aspect of the formation of political power.”
Muro Inoñan said he had a “special” and “deep” connection to the discovery because his mother’s and father’s families were from the area, “so it was really incredible to come face to face with these images of an ancient god that was so important to these ancient groups.”
Archaeologists also found several large murals painted on the walls. Muro Inoñan collected paint samples, which he said he plans to analyze in a lab and also send samples for radiocarbon dating to confirm the age of the site.
The Andes are home to many archaeological finds dating back to pre-Hispanic times, CNN reports. In August, Peruvian archaeologists unearthed a 3,000-year-old tomb that they believe may have belonged to a prominent religious leader. A few months earlier, the mummy of a teenager more than 1,000 years old, wrapped in a burial bundle, was discovered on the outskirts of the modern capital Lima.