A 3,200-year-old mural in the Peruvian province of Virú has been discovered by archaeologists that could shed light on the pre-Columbian Cupisnique culture. The mural marks the location of an ancient Cupisnique ceremonial temple.
The mural depicts a spider god at an ancient temple complex in northern Peru’s Virú province, around 300 miles north of Lima. Archaeologist Régulo Franco Jordán said, “We are in front of a temple that thousands of years ago would have been a ceremonial center. It is precisely a stylized zoomorphic being that could be a spider, a very sacred animal, found on the south wall.” The painting features a variety of colors, including yellow, gray, and white.
Local avocado and sugarcane farmers discovered the historic artwork in while using heavy machinery to plow new fields, which inadvertently destroyed about 60 percent of the site. Because it is located near a river, the temple was likely dedicated to water deities.
Jordán also said that the site was likely used a ceremony held between January and March involving rainwater. He told that preservation efforts for the mural, which was uncovered after local farmers had cleared the surrounding land, will be undertaken in the coming months.
The government plans to begin emergency work to preserve the find next week, and has filed a complaint against the farmers who damaged the ancient temple. Further excavations are planned for after the pandemic.