Overview
- Field teams led by the Chan Chan Archaeological Complex Special Project uncovered a square funerary platform about 17 meters per side and five meters high that contained 38 human remains and dozens of grave goods.
- The chamber appeared never to have been looted, a fact confirmed when excavators cleared the entrance and found funerary bundles and intact artifacts.
- Recovered objects include metal weapons, ear ornaments, heavy beads, and a wooden chest with colorful textiles decorated with seabirds and monkeys that point to high social status.
- Researchers identified red pigment on one principal skull and some other bones that must undergo chemical tests to determine whether it is cinnabar, and radiocarbon and osteological analyses are scheduled next.
- Excavation work will pause for conservation steps and laboratory study ahead of heavy seasonal rains in November as the 98-person Peruvian team finishes field recording and secures the site.