February 23, 2015

Two Remarkable Wooden Sculptures Found in Ancient Chimu Tomb

Archaeologists have found two wooden sculptures in a Chimu tomb in Peru. They are of male musicians. They once wore copper masks. The flutes they carry are identical to the 16 bamboo flutes that were also found in the tomb, along with woven cloth and pottery. One pottery vessel depicted the Chimu goddess of the moon, weavers and the sea. the tomb may have belonged to noble musicians and weavers. The wooden sculptures may represent a last musical ceremony actually held for the departed in the tomb.

Archaeology.org has the report here with a photo of the wooden sculptures;
http://www.archaeology.org/issues/128-1403/artifact/1732-artifact-chimu-musical-funerary-idols