Mural in Peru sheds light on beliefs and hierarchies of ancient civilisation

Archaeologists in Peru have discovered a multicoloured three-dimensional mural that could date back 4,000 years, in an unprecedented find that has shifted archaeological understanding about the first civilisations in the Americas.

- Dan Collyns

The centrepiece of the three-by-six-metre mural is a stylistic depiction of a large bird of prey with outstretched wings, its head adorned with three-dimensional diamond motifs that align the south and north faces of the mural.

It is covered with high-relief friezes and designs painted in blue, yellow, red and black.

The sophisticated and stylistic imagery sheds new light on the beliefs and social structures of early civilisations in the formative period (2000-1000BC) in Peru.

Archaeologists consider pre-Hispanic Peru to be one of the birthplaces of civilisation in the Americas, with an estimated 100,000 archaeological sites, including renowned tourist attractions such as Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines.