Curled up for 1,000 years: Peruvian mummy found sitting in foetal position in pre-Inca burial site goes on display

More than 1,000 years ago, this 50-year-old woman was laid to rest in a ceremonial ritual in the ancient settlement of Pachacamac, near Lima, Peru.

The mummified skeleton, which was found in a vast burial site just yards from the long-abandoned civilisation’s temple, was discovered in a foetal position.

Careful not to damage the well-preserved body of the woman, archaeologists have kept her in the same state she was found in as they prepare to unveil the mummy for a French museum exhibition.

The mummy will be revealed to the public at the Musee de Confluences, in Lyon, when it opens later this month.

From a pre-Inca civilisation, the frail skeleton will form part of the new museum’s exploration of human representations of death in different ages and cultures around the world.

Pachacamac, based around 25 miles south of the Peruvian capital, was situated on the Pacific coastline.

More than 80 skeletons and mummies – including infants who appeared to have been killed for ritual reasons – were found in a spectacular 1,000-year-old tomb at the site in 2012.

Beyond these bodies, a further 70 skeletons and mummies – all in the fetal position – were lying around, most of them still wrapped up. 

The thousands who lived in the ancient town, which existed between the years 800 and 1450, followed the god Pacha Kamaq – who they believed created the first man and first woman.

The townsfolk, who built 17 pyramids, merged with the Incas as they conquered much of South America. 

The monumental site, which covers almost 600 hectares of arid land, is considered one of the most important ancient settlements in South America, widely thought to be as significant as Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines. 

The mummy as found by the Ychsma Project, directed by of the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, which has held archaeological digs in Pachacamac since 1999