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Nearly 3,000-year-old human remains unearthed in El Salvador

By AFP

Published on July 22, 2026 at 02:45

Archaeologists extract a pre-Hispanic burial estimated to date to 850 BC at an archaeological site in Antiguo Cuscatlan, El Salvador — Handout / AFP
Archaeologists extract a pre-Hispanic burial estimated to date to 850 BC at an archaeological site in Antiguo Cuscatlan, El Salvador — Handout / AFP

Archaeologists in El Salvador exhumed human remains believed to be nearly 3,000 years old on Tuesday, the Ministry of Culture said.

The remains were first uncovered on July 2 in a burial site at Antiguo Cuscatlan, a suburb of San Salvador, and are estimated to date back to around 850 BC, according to the ministry.

The burial pit also contained a small Usulutan-style ceramic vessel shaped like a sea turtle, as well as remnants of cassava branches preserved beneath layers of volcanic ash deposited over different periods.

The remains were found face down and will undergo radiocarbon dating to determine their age. DNA analysis will also be carried out to determine the person's sex.

According to the ministry, the site may contain burials similar to those uncovered at the Chalchuapa archaeological site in western El Salvador, where archaeologists unearthed the remains of 33 people in the 1970s.

The discovery -- considered the earliest known evidence of human sacrifice in Mesoamerica -- included 26 complete skeletons, four partial skeletons and three isolated skulls.

Many were found face down with their hands and feet bound, while others showed signs of mutilation or decapitation.

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