Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

July 9, 2008 6:50:58 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

Back to the grid

Archaeologists Unearth Pre-Inca Temple

Posted Mar 16, 08 6:29 AM CDT in World    Most Covered

(Newser) – Archaeologists have dug up a pre-Incan temple that sheds light on a lost Peruvian culture, the AP reports. Nestled in a mountain region, the sprawling site housed the Killke people as they fended off an encroaching Spanish empire around 1200 AD. Evidence of mummies and idols shows that the Killke were not only warriors but had a "sacred ceremonial nature," one researcher said.

"The site turned out to be far more extensive than we expected," one archaeologist told the Daily Telegraph. "It's spread over 6 square kilometres and is up around 11,000 feet on steep terrain. Its natural beauty is stunning." The site is the area's biggest and most important Inca find in more than 30 years, experts say.

Sources Associated Press, Daily Telegraph (UK)

Editor Recommended

Related News

  • New Findings Shatter Old Mayan Theories

    Jun 23, 08 6:59 PM CDT
    New Findings Shatter Old Mayan Theories Some experts want to drain Mayan history of its high drama—the sudden collapse, and desperate migration—to tell a longer, slower story, USA Today reports. Classic history claims that Mayan cities imploded quickly around 900 AD, and their people trekked north to colonize in the Yucatan—but experts now say that Mayans had already lived there for 1,000 years. More »

  • 1780 British Warship Found

    Jun 14, 08 6:22 AM CDT
    1780 British Warship Found Two intrepid explorers using sonar and a remote-controlled submersible have discovered what may be the oldest shipwreck in the Great Lakes, the AP reports. HMS Ontario, a British warship carrying as many as 130, sank in a storm in Lake Ontario in 1780. Since 1781, when six sailors’ bodies washed ashore, there had been no sign of the 80-foot sloop before the find announced yesterday. More »

  • Peru Dig Yields 4000-Year Old Gold Necklace

    Mar 31, 08 8:06 PM CDT
    Peru Dig Yields 4000-Year Old Gold Necklace Researchers have dug up the oldest piece of crafted gold in the Americas, a 4,000-year old gold necklace, LiveScience reports. Found at a pre-Inca burial site in Peru, the bling proves that primitive societies sought displays of wealth. It signals "the social process towards some kind of inequality," said Mark Aldenderfer, a University of Arizona anthropologist. More »

  • Ancient Plaza Found in Peru

    Feb 26, 08 1:50 PM CST
    Archaeologists in Peru have unearthed one of the oldest structures in the Americas, Reuters reports. Carbon dating indicates the ceremonial plaza in Casma is 5,500 years old, scientists at the dig say. That's 500 years older than the nearby ancient citadel of Caral, previously thought be Peru’s oldest ruins. "It's an impressive find," said the project's supervisor. More »

  • Climate Swing Jump-Started Civilization

    Feb 12, 08 2:10 PM CST
    Climate Swing Jump-Started Civilization An ancient Peruvian civilization may have been kick-started by a climate swing. Five thousand years ago, hunter-gatherers moved inland from the seashore, settling in arid, desolate river valleys where they learned to farm. Archaeologist Jonathan Haas thinks the new settlers were spurred to move by more frequent El Ninos, which killed the fish and shellfish they had relied on for food, reports NPR. More »

In this photo released by Andina Agency, the ruins of a newly disovered temple is seen at the Sacsayhuaman archeological ruins in Cuzco, Peru, in this recent undated photo.   (AP Photo/Andina Agency)
In this photo released by Andina Agency, the ruins of a newly disovered temple are seen at the Sacsayhuaman archeological ruins in Cuzco, Peru, in this recent undated photo.   (AP Photo/Andina Agency)
prev    next
play

Threads (1 of 1)

Tags

archaeology  • Peru  • discovery  • ancient cities  • Inca


Loading...

Loading...

Related Thread: Unearthing the Past

Next story from this section »

Today's Most Popular


Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »