City workers found an ancient indigenous tomb last Friday while repairing an aqueduct in the southern neighborhood of “La Colinita” in Colombia’s second largest city, Medellin, reported local media this weekend.
The tomb is said to belong to the “Aburraes” indigenous tribe, which inhabited the Aburra Valley from 900 A.D. until 1540, around the time the first Spanish explorers reached the area.
Pablo Aristizabal, an archeologist from the University of Paris who investigated the scene, said that the deceased must have been of high rank because of the ornate burial gifts found in the tomb.
So far, 13 wheels for weaving, two gold nose-rings and several pieces of ceramics have been uncovered at the site.
The archeologist suggested that the tomb could be part of a larger cemetery, as other similar sites had been found nearby.
Medellin Secretary of Education and Culture, Claudia Restrepo, stressed the cultural importance of this discovery for the city.
She confirmed that there would be surveillance of the site to protect it from possible damage until experts have had a chance to establish a formal dig.
This is the second time in the past two months that a tomb has been uncovered by accident in the area surrounding Medellin.
MORE: Ancient tomb discovered in Colombia
Sources
- Hallada antigua tumba de los Aburráes (RCN La Radio)
- Antigua tumba de aburráes en La Colinita (El Colombiano)