Archaeologists have discovered a large 3D mural on Peru’s northwest coast. The blue, yellow, red and black paint still adorns 3,000-year-old murals decorated with fish, stars and mythological beings.
“The imagery, decorative techniques and exceptional preservation make this a truly unprecedented discovery in the area,” Cecilia Mauricio, an archaeologist at Peru’s Pope Catholic University, who found the mural, told Live Science via email.
Mauricio and her team began digging at the archaeological site in Huaca Yolanda in early July. During the first week of excavation, they discovered the mural. The mural dates back to the formative period (2000-1000 BC). The mural is 20 feet long (6 meters) and 9.5 feet tall (2.9 meters).
The south side of the mural depicts a large bird with wings extended to its head and diamond motifs, with Mauricio probably representing an eagle or a falcon. On the north face is a person like plants, stars and humans who “represent shamans” who were powerful people during that period, Mauricio said.
“Current evidence suggests that the murals decorated the interior spaces within the main atriums of the temple during its formative years,” Mauricio said.
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Huaca Yolanda was occupied at the same time as Chavin de Juantal, the main ritual site of the Andes before the birth of the Inca Empire. The Chabin civilization is located in the highlands and developed sophisticated agricultural techniques, metallurgy and textile production. People on this site left behind murals depicting the jaguars and reptiles, predators of the jungle lowland.
However, the murals of Huaca Yolanda differ from those found in Chavín, as they reflect a distinctive coastal artistic tradition, including images of fish and fishing nets.
Unlike Chavin, Huaca Yolanda is not an officially protected archaeological site. In a statement from Peru’s Pope Catholic University, Mauricio has called on the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, local authorities and heritage organizations to protect the site to preserve this unusual window in a formative and refined past.
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