Discovery
11 pre-Hispanic bodies found: Archaeologists studying a small site at Peru’s main sports center have dug up eight skeletons dating from at least 700 years ago and three others twice that old.
The discovery of pre-Hispanic remains was made at the Huaca Tupac Amaru B site at the National Sports Village. The 400-square-meter (yard) site sits just a few meters (feet) from the stadium where Peru’s national soccer team trains.
Archaeologist Fernando Herrera, head of the project, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that three sets of remains were determined to belong to the Lima culture, which developed between A.D. 200 and 700. The eight other skeletons came from the more recent Yschma culture, between A.D. 1000 and 1400, he said.
Each skeleton was found lying on a bed of woven reeds. The bodies were tied with braided rattan and covered by one or more cloths. They were buried with ceramics, textiles, fruit tree leaves, and tools used for agriculture, he said.
Herrera said the first skeleton was found in December and the others were recovered in January. The archaeological team thinks there may be more and is still searching the site, he said.
There are many archaeological sites in Lima, including the Huaca Pucllana in the Miraflores residential district that has a towering Lima culture pyramid. (AP) Ancient king’s hat holds clues: A hat which belonged to South Korea’s most revered monarch King Sejong has been recovered more than 500 years after it was looted by Japanese invaders, a senior scholar said Wednesday.
Apart from its intrinsic value as an historical relic, the discovery has thrilled scholars after documents were found stitched inside the hat carrying explanations of King Sejong’s greatest legacy — the Hangeul alphabet.
The monarch known as Sejong the Great ruled from 1418-1450. His reign had a profound impact on Korean history with the introduction of the Hangeul phonetic alphabet that replaced classical Chinese characters.
Hangeul vastly increased literacy — previously restricted to the top scholarly class — and remains the official script of both South and North Korea.
The king’s statue occupies an honoured place in the centre of Seoul and numerous buildings and institutions are named after him. Hangeul Day commemorating the alphabet’s creation is a public holiday.
Lee Sang-Gyu, a professor of Korean language and literature at Kyungpook National University, told journalists that the Ikseongwan (cicada-wing hat) was purchased in Japan last year by a South Korean collector. (AFP)