Burial caves and mummies discovered at Machu Picchu. Bingham found over 50 burial caves hanging off sheer granite cliffs The first cave contained bones of a woman about 35 years old Burials were in the usual contracted position with knees drawn up to chin
Over 50 burial caves hung from sheer cliffs. One held a woman ~35 years old in contracted position. A high priestess was buried with bronze hair pins, hammered bird jewelry, fine wool, and a mummified dog. No gold was found; most graves had been disturbed. Bingham's team found 172 tombs with human remains.
Key Facts
- Bingham found over 50 burial caves hanging off sheer granite cliffs
- The first cave contained bones of a woman about 35 years old
- Burials were in the usual contracted position with knees drawn up to chin
- A second cave yielded fragments of two small adult skulls
- The third cave contained the first perfect piece of Inca pottery found at the site
- Another batch of caves contained remains of around 60 mummies
- No skulls showed signs of trepanation (skull surgery)
- A high priestess was buried with bronze hair pins, hammered bird jewelry, fine wool fabrics, and a mummified dog
- No gold was found in any burial, most graves had been disturbed
Related site: Machu Picchu — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: The First Explorers of Machu Picchu: Megalithic City in the Clouds by Luke Caverns