Archaeologists have been blown away by the discovery of a throne room and “Hall of the Braided Serpents” with murals of snakes and other images displayed on the wall.
Clues in the throne room also suggest that it belonged to a powerful female ruler more than 1,300 years ago.
The discovery was made in Pañamarca, a religious site in Peru. It was once the hub of the ancient Moche future.
Gabriela Cervantes Quequezana, an archaeologist, said the throne room suggests many women hed positions of power within the Moche culture.
She said: “There are several things that are very important regarding this wonderful discovery.
“We’ve seen other representations of women in tombs, but not in the depth and complexity in the discoveries in Pañamarca.”
Some of the paintings on the wall depict women sitting on thrones and wearing crowns.
Other images include the crescent moon, sea creatures and a weaving workshop.
The throne dates back to A.D 650. The wear on the throne suggests someone had sat there.
Human hair was found embedded within the material.
Lisa Trever, a professor of art history and archaeology at Columbia University and one of the Pañamarca researchers, added: “It’s very unusual for us to see the crowned woman seated on a throne inside a building holding court.
“I think we can say with some certainty that, regardless of who actually sat there, it was a throne for a queen, the throne for a woman.”
Dr. Cervantes, who works at the National University of San Marcos in Lima, added: “We’ve had so far a very masculine view of the Moche world.
“But with this discovery in Pañamarca, even though there’s not a tomb per se of a queen, we have a female character. She’s been called a priestess, but we can also think of her as a powerful woman in terms of political power.”
The experts say the murals and throne room have shed new light on how Moche people lived.
The new evidence helps us to understand some of their ceremonies, as well as the role of women in their societies.
One of the experts said that he is “wondering what kind of unbelievable discoveries will be made in the near future” meaning more fascinating finds could be made at the site soon.
