An ancient Peruvian temple discovered under a sand dune is rewriting what we know about civilizations that lived up to 3,500 years before the Inca. The temple reveals the early emergence of institutional religion — and possibly human sacrifice — in the Initial Period of Andean Civilization, which goes from roughly 2000 B.C. to the rise of Chavín de Huántar and the Early Horizon period in roughly 900 B.C.
Local authorities contacted archaeologist Luis Muro Ynoñan in 2023 after reports of looting near Zaña, an old colonial-era town in northwest Peru. Muro Ynoñan and his colleagues began excavating in June 2024 at a site they called La Otra Banda-Cerro Las Ánimas, where they uncovered evidence of two temples separated by centuries.
The Initial Period compound at La Otra Banda includes a theater-like structure with a stage and backstage area connected by stairs, potentially used for ritual performances. The team also discovered mud panels with anthropomorphized figures and mural paintings of geometric designs. Additionally, the bodies of two humans were found buried at the temple, hinting at the possibility of human sacrifice practices.
The Moche temple, dating to the later Moche period, was built of adobe and exposed quite easily compared to most excavations. These temples, along with others in the area, may have been built in response to larger phenomena affecting the people at the time, such as changing weather patterns. It is believed that the people turned to temple building and human sacrifice to appease the gods who they believed controlled the weather.
Future excavations in the area are expected to uncover more about these ancient civilizations, as the researchers have only scratched the surface of what lies beneath. The site covers more than 37 acres and will take many years to fully expose and understand.
The discovery at La Otra Banda sheds light on the religious practices and possible human sacrifice rituals of ancient Peruvian civilizations, providing valuable insights into the origins of religion in the region. The intricate structures and artifacts uncovered by the archaeologists offer a glimpse into the lives and beliefs of these early societies, opening up new avenues for research and exploration in the field of archaeology.
