Skeletons Of Over 40 People And Some Who Died Of SYPHILIS Found In Peru (Photos)

Skeletons Of Over 40 People And Some Who Died Of SYPHILIS Found In Peru (Photos)

Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of 42 humans in a cemetery next to a Peruvian hospital that dates back to the 16th century, when the country first became part of the Spanish empire.

The bodies have remained undiscovered for centuries, despite being buried only around 12 inches (30cm) beneath the ground.

Although not thought to be among the bodies found, experts think the site also hides the remains of the mummies of the last Incas, the tribe that once ruled the Andean region of South America before the Spanish conquest.

In addition, experts have found an underground crypt and fragments of pre-Hispanic ceramics, likely from before the construction of the hospital, possibly dating to the time of the Incas.

Most of the newly-found bones belonged to males, several of whom had died of syphilis and from deformities in the skull, according to the experts.

Archaeologists have found a cross, possibly made of copper, that one of the deceased had around his neck.

Historically, patients who arrived at the hospital were placed in beds located in the corridors and that from their bed they could listen to mass.

'The people who did not survive the treatment were buried here,' Héctor Walde, chief archaeologist for the Lima municipality, told the Associated Press.

'The ritual and religiosity in Lima was very strong.'

Hospital Real de San Andrés was founded by Viceroy Andres Hurtado de Wildoso, a Spanish military officer.

The main structure of the hospital was designed in the shape of a cross, with an alter in the centre.

Other adjacent structures included offices, a pharmacy, a psychiatric ward, as well as a garden and the cemetery.

Excavations at the location began 20 years ago and uncovered evidence of the cemetery, as well as the remains of a 19th-century fountain, an early colonial trash pit and a vaulted structure.

But the 42 bodies have been unearthed only after several months of recent excavations at the site of downtown Lima.

Two years ago, archaeologists began to rediscover the one-hectare complex, which is on a bustling street near a police station and a costume shop.

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