Archaeologists excavating the site of El Curaca, in southern Peru, discovered a massive circular tomb containing the Rest of 24 men, women and childrenAll showing signs of injury related to the battle. This unprecedented discovery, reported by Live scienceCould give a rare overview of violent conflicts and ritual burial practices of a little-known pre-inca population known as Chuquibamba or Aruni, which lived in the Valley of the Ato River between 1000 and 1450 AD.
Led by Jósef Szykulski of the University of Wrocław in Poland, the team launched the excavation in October 2024, revealing a site rich in goods, in particular pottery, bone tools, stone artefacts, textiles and cornstands. Many skeletons had been carefully wrapped in a fabric, suggesting a deliberate and honorable burial. The preliminary analysis indicates that individuals have been victims of combat, which makes the site one of the most important examples of collective burial after a conflict in the region.
Proof of the war and honorable burial
The fact that these remains were buried with high quality serious goods suggest that individuals were respected members of their society, perhaps warriors or community leaders who died in combat. Szykulski Noted in a translated statement that this could imply that their group won the conflict, and the dead were commemorated ceremonious by the survivors.
The team currently uses 3D digitization to digitally document the skulls and remains. At the same time, efforts are underway to keep textiles and analyze the fragments of wood and pottery recovered, which can all provide more in -depth information on the social status, the health and the cultural identity of buried individuals.
Disentangle the identity of the ARNI
Little is known about the Aruni people, apart from the petroglyphs they have left in the neighboring caves. This excavation can offer the first detailed overview of their rituals, their war and their daily life. In a region dominated by better -known empires such as Wari and Inca, discoveries are crucial to rebuild the less documented stories of the various ancient populations of Peru.
The project, funded by the National Science Center in Poland, is underway and will include an old DNA analysis in the next phase, potentially revealing biological relations, ancestral origins and even indices on how these individuals lived and died.
