Archaeologists discover Inca tomb in Peru

Undated picture distributed on February 15, 2019 by Peruvian news agency Andina of a recently discovered burial chamber belonging to the Inca period at the "Mata Indio" archeological site in Lambayeque region, Peru.

Archaeologists believe the tomb belonged to a noble Inca based on the presence of "spondylus," a type of sea shell always present in the graves of important figures from the Incan period, which lasted from the 12th to the 16th centuries. The tomb had been broken into multiple times, possibly in search of treasure

Pottery and ornaments found in a recently discovered burial chamber belonging to the Inca period at the "Mata Indio" archeological site in Lambayeque region, Peru.

Despite evidence of looting, archaeologists recovered items including vases at the Mata Indio dig site in the northern Lambayeque region,

The tomb also had unique architecture including hollows for the placement of idols.

Personal funerary adornments found in a recently discovered burial chamber belonging to the Inca period at the "Mata Indio" archeological site in Lambayeque region, Peru. Chero said the findings "demonstrate the majesty and importance of this site," located 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) north of the capital Lima, and 2,000 kilometers from Cusco - capital of the Inca empire which stretched from southern Colombia to central Chile.