Mass grave of mostly young women found in ancient Peruvian city

Also found there were 50 ceramic items.

Archaeologists in Peru have discovered the remains of 25 people in the ancient city of Chan Chan, BBC reports.

The skeletons were found in a small area of 10 square meters in the city, the capital of the Chimu empire.

The pre-Columbian Chimu civilization ruled part of present-day Peru for several centuries. Their empire reached its peak in the 15th century, until it was conquered by the Inca Empire around 1470.

The Chimu culture is known for its advanced crafts, in particular the production of erotic ceramics.

Chan Chan, where the mass grave was found, was the largest city in pre-Columbian America.

Experts believe the mass grave may have been the burial place of Chimu elites.

Archaeologist Cynthia Cueva told the agency that most of the remains belong to young women: "None of them is older than 30."

Although it is known that the Chimu sacrificed people, including children, archaeologist Jorge Meneses Bartra said there is no evidence that those found in the discovered tomb died in this way.

Scientists will conduct tests to try to determine the cause of death.

Meneses said that the position of one of the skeletons indicated that it was buried there shortly after the person's death, while other bones were jumbled, suggesting they were moved to this grave later.

In the 13th–15th centuries, Chan Chan was a large city with 9 fortresses and many temples. The Chimu civilization lost the contest to the better-known Inca Empire.

According to Cueva, the latest find shows that the Chimu culture was deeply concerned with the remains of their loved ones.

The bodies were in a seated position, wrapped in several layers of cloth.

About 50 ceramic items were also found in the grave.

In the future, researchers plan to conduct tests to determine the cause of death of each person and learn more about this burial site