Archaeologists of the Ucupe Cultural Landscape Archaeological Project Unearth 4,000-Year-Old Ceremonial Temple in Peru. The structure appeas to predate Machu Picchu, the country’s best-known archaeological site, by 3,500 years

According to news of Ella Feldman from smithsonianmag; Researchers of the Ucupe Cultural Landscape Archaeological Project in Peru say they have found the remains of a 4,000-year-old temple and theater, a discovery that could enrich historians’ understanding of ancient religious practices in the region.

The ruins appear to predate Machu Picchu, the Inca settlement that is now Peru’s best-known archaeological site, by roughly 3,500 years. The researchers say they also predate pre-Inca cultures such as the Moche and Nazca.

Last month, researchers began excavating a 33- by 33-foot plot of land located near Zaña, a town in coastal Peru. Just six feet below the surface, they found evidence of ancient walls made of mud and clay.

The structure appears to have been a section of a larger temple, which may have been built into the mountainside.

The researchers found the skeletal human remains of three adults inside the temple...