Archaeologists in northern Peru have uncovered 14 skeletons buried face down at the ancient Puemape temple, shedding new light on early ritual practices and ancestor worship on the coast.

The site, associated with the Cupisnique culture and later the Salinar civilisation, could now be one of the oldest known ceremonial centres in the region, with evidence of human activity dating back to 2200 B.C.

"This site was already important, but these latest findings change the scale of what we're dealing with," said Henry Tantalean, head of the Chicama Archaeological Program at the National University of San Marcos.

Tantalean believes the skeletons, likely from around 1000 B.C., may point to ritual sacrifices or conflict-related burials conducted by the Salinar people, who reused the sacred site centuries after its original builders abandoned it.

"The way the bodies were placed, face down and sometimes bound, strongly suggests sacrificial practices, which were not uncommon in this region's ancient cultures," he added.

All of the remains were found within the boundaries of the temple, a detail archaeologists say reinforces its sacred status well beyond its initial construction period.

The Puemape discovery is now prompting scholars to reconsider timelines and ritual behaviours along Peru's northern desert corridor.

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