Tomb find confirms women ruled ancient Peru

Archaeologists have discovered a tomb belonging to a powerful pre-Hispanic priestess in Peru, the eighth in more than two decades, confirming that women ruled the region approximately 1,200 years ago.

The burial chamber was found in the Cao religious compound belonging to the Moche civilisation, close to the city of Trujillo, Peru. The highly decorated tomb is made of clay and covered with copper plates in the form of waves and birds. Inside the tomb were the remains of the priestess surrounded by ceramic offerings, a mast and a knife, as well as the bodies of five children and two adults all of whom were sacrificed.

So far, the excavations within the cemetery of the Mochica elite have only turned up tombs with women, indicating the important role that women played in the Moche society. "This find makes it clear that women didn't just run rituals in this area but governed here and were queens of Mochica society," said project director Luis Jaime Castillo.


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