By AFP
In this aerial view an archaeologist cleans a skull attributed to the pre-Inca Chancay culture accidentally unearthed by workers installing a gas pipeline in Lima's Puente Piedra district, on July 31, 2025. Photo: CONNIE FRANCE
A crew of Peruvian workers have accidentally discovered a mummy more than 1,000 years old while installing gas pipes in Peru's capital Lima, their employer and archaeologists say.
The mummy of a boy aged between 10 and 15 was found last week in a tomb 1.2 metres underneath a street north of Lima, archaeologist Jesus Bahamonde said.
The mummy was covered in a shroud in a seated position, arms and legs bent.
"The burial and the objects correspond to a style that developed between 1000 and 1200," he said.
Pottery was also found in the tomb which was dated to the pre-Inca Chancay civilization that lived around the Lima region between the 11th and 15th centuries.
It was believed to be part of a large, ancient cemetery.
An archaeologist cleans a skull attributed to the pre-Inca Chancay culture accidentally unearthed by workers installing a gas pipeline in Lima's Puente Piedra district, on July 31, 2025. Photo: CONNIE FRANCE
Lima, a city with over 10 million inhabitants, also houses more than 500 archaeological sites.
Utility companies in Peru must hire archaeologists when drilling the earth because of the possibility of hitting upon heritage sites.
Gas company Calidda has reported more than 2,200 chance archaeological discoveries since 2004.
- AFP
