Twelve skulls found near Peru archaeological site

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STORY: Twelve fragmented skulls are found at a spiral-shaped prehispanic temple in Peru

Archaeologists say the temple is 5,300 years old

The skull pieces were mixed with mud, a sign that they might be part of a funerary ritual

[Quirino Olivera, Archaeologist]

“They placed here 12 skulls as a ritual, ceremonial, spiritual element. As if it were a kind of offering to this great culture or this important temple, which practically marked the beginning of religion in the Amazon.”

Experts made the discovery while looking for the grave of a top cleric

[Quirino Olivera, Archaeologist]

“Allegedly, according to all the evidence we reported so far, at the center of the spiral there would be buried the grave of the top religious hierarchy person of the temple with remnants of the oldest cocoa in the world.”