Archaeologists uncovered a sand-covered ceremonial temple in northwestern Peru dating to about 4,000–5,000 years ago, revealing rammed-earth walls, a central staircase, a raised ritual platform and painted friezes preserved under fine plaster. The team recovered three adult skeletons and a linen-wrapped bundle that may be an offering; a separate later temple dated to 600–700 A.D., likely Moche, contained a child burial. Pigment chemistry and other laboratory analyses planned this fall aim to refine chronology and illuminate early Andean religious practices.
Lost Peruvian Temple Unearthed: 4,000–5,000-Year-Old Ritual Complex Reveals Early Andean Religion
Ancient Temple Found Buried in Peruvian SandStefan Cristian Cioata - Getty Images
Archaeologists have uncovered a sand-buried ceremonial temple in northwestern Peru that dates to roughly 4,000–5,000 years ago, providing rare direct evidence of early religious life on the Andean coast. The excavation revealed rammed-earth walls, painted friezes preserved under fine plaster, a central staircase leading to a raised ritual platform, and multiple human burials. A later, separate temple dated to about 600–700 A.D., likely tied to the Moche tradition, was also found nearby.
What the Team Found
The project team first exposed ancient walls emerging from the dunes. Careful clearing revealed architectural features diagnostic of a ceremonial complex: a central staircase ascending to a raised platform or stage that would have been suitable for public ritual performances, wall friezes, and distinct construction techniques using rammed earth.
The painted friezes, preserved beneath a fine layer of plaster, depict animals and hybrid figures, including cats, reptile claws, and a human body with a bird head. These motifs, together with plaster preservation, already help constrain the site's chronology and point to distinctive belief imagery in the region.
Human remains were recovered in both phases of occupation. In the older temple the skeletons of three adults were found tucked between walls, and a linen-wrapped bundle nearby may represent an offering. The later Moche-period structure contained the remains of a child, possibly five to six years old.
Context and Significance
We may be facing a 5,000-year-old religious site built with rammed-earth walls, offering direct insight into the early origins of religion in Peru, said project director Luis Armando Muro Ynoñán in statements released by Peru's Ministry of Culture and the Field Museum.
Scholars know little about the people who built these early complexes because they left no written records; researchers rely on material culture such as houses, temples and funerary goods. The discovery promises to illuminate how complex belief systems and religious practices emerged on the Andean coast and how religion contributed to social and political organization over millennia.
Next Steps in Research
Field teams plan chemical analysis of pigments used in the wall paintings this fall to refine dating and identify material sources. They will also study organic remains, construction techniques and burial context to better understand ritual practice, chronology and social structure at the site.
The excavation began after local authorities alerted archaeologists to looting in the area. Investigators say the exposed section may be part of a much larger complex built into the mountain slope, and further work could reveal more architecture and artifacts.
Note: Findings reported so far are based on ongoing excavation and analysis; researchers caution that interpretations will be refined as laboratory results become available.
