In the Ica Valley of southern Peru, excavators have revealed a subterranean funerary chamber belonging to the Paracas Culture. The tomb contains the remains of a high-status individual wrapped in several layers of 15-meter-long polychrome mantles, which have remained perfectly preserved due to the hyper-arid desert conditions.
The textiles feature intricate embroidery of mythological creatures and shamans, rendered in dozens of distinct naturally dyed shades. Alongside the mummy, archaeologists found gold nose ornaments and obsidian knives, marking this as one of the most significant Paracas elite burials discovered in the last century.