Wooden Coffin of a Male | Pre Inca Moche

A dead remain of a human male was discovered by archeologists at the pre-Inca Moche society in Peru. 

He was buried along the tomb of powerful priestesses contained inside a wooden coffin with copper lattice and gilded mask decorations.

 
The people of the pre-Inca Moche were composed of farmers who occupied the arid coasts territory of Peru at around 100 to 1000 A.D. 

And based from the archaeologists, they believe that the women of this society have dominated the authority of leading their people. This is the reason why there were seven royal priestess burials.

Luis Jaime Castillo Butters of the Catholic University of Peru in Lima was the one who led the team of archeologists who started the excavations of the double-chambered Moche tomb. 

And behind their excavation project, they were funded partially by the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration.

Castillo and his team were actually expecting female remains because they were working on royal priestess burial sites. 

But, they never expected to uncover a rattle-wielding elite male contained by the wooden coffin. This was very puzzling to them.

More Dead Remains Discovered Inside the Tomb

As Castillo and his team continued on their excavation and exploration of the tomb, they found a ramp that led into the first chamber. 

When they explored it, they found bones of a young human male and at the corner were bones that belongs to a llama animal. 

According to Castillo, these human and animal remains probably serves as a sacrifices.

The archeologists had again discovered another second chamber. And on this second room, they had found more human remains. 

It consists of two females and one male arranged in their simple burials. But just like the other remains in the previous room, the team speculates that they were also probably sacrifices. 

In addition to the trio, there was another young male that sat on a cross-legged form in the same room.

In 2008, Castillo and his team managed to excavate a tomb that belonged to a priestess. Strange though that the tomb was simply alongside the tomb of the elite male with wooden coffin.

Overall, nobody can still confirm the events that took place into those burial sites. Especially the male with the wooden coffin who was a part of the main complex burial layout. 

This man probably have an equal power of authority to the priestesses. But, how come that he was the only man granted with such power?