"We have managed to unearth the tomb, more than a thousand years old, of a character who fulfilled the function of surgeon in Sican culture," archaeologist Carlos Elera told AFP.
The discovery took place at the end of 2021 in the Las Ventanas mausoleum temple, located in the historic Bosque de Pomac sanctuary, in the Lambayeque region, 800 km north of Lima.
“The character was a specialist in cranial trepanation and his surgical instruments were intended for everything related to human cranial surgery,” said Mr. Elera, director of the National Museum of Sican Culture.
Photo released by the National Museum of Sican Culture of objects found in the thousand-year-old tomb of a pre-Inca surgeon, discovered in late 2021 in the Las Ventanas mausoleum temple, in the Lambayeque region, Peru - Museo Nacional Sican/AFP
The latter, also known as the Lambayeque culture, appeared around 700-750 AD and lasted until 1375.
In pre-Columbian Peru, trepanation was a common practice to eliminate hematomas or remove fractured cranial bones, probably during warlike clashes.
Photo released by the National Museum of Sican Culture of objects found in the thousand-year-old tomb of a pre-Inca surgeon, discovered in late 2021 in the Las Ventanas mausoleum temple, in the Lambayeque region, Peru - Museo Nacional Sican/AFP
The burial contained a gold mask, a large bronze pectoral piece and other objects that testify to the status of the person buried, found by archaeologists sitting cross-legged.
"In northern Peru, it is not usual to find this type of character," Elera said.
Among the surgical instruments were discovered tumis - knives with semi-circular blades -, knives with wooden handles, awls and needles.
Photo released by the National Museum of Sican Culture of objects found in the thousand-year-old tomb of a pre-Inca surgeon, discovered in late 2021 in the Las Ventanas mausoleum temple, in the Lambayeque region, Peru - Museo Nacional Sican/AFP
Archaeologists also found pieces of bark from an unidentified tree that may have been used as a painkiller.
“We compare the instruments of a modern surgeon with these objects to see what their similarities are,” Elera explained.
© 2022 AFP