Four ancient mummies found beside a Wari temple in southern Peru are raising the possibility that the expanding empire and the Nasca civilization cooperated rather than simply fought for control of the region. Archaeologists discovered the four wrapped individuals at Huaca del Loro, a large site on Peru’s southern coast. Biological anthropologist Corina Kellner joined excavations there in 2018 and returned with a research team in 2022.
The individuals were buried in seated, tightly flexed positions, with their knees against their chests and hands near their faces. Such burials were common in ancient Peru. Their location was unusual. Instead of resting in the cemetery with other people from the site, the four were buried near a Wari temple. Their graves had also remained undisturbed for more than 1,000 years.
Burials point to a more complex relationship
Huaca del Loro was occupied during the Middle Horizon, a period of major political change in the Andes. It marked the decline of the Nasca civilization, whose people became known for colorful ceramics, textiles, and the enormous desert geoglyphs called the Nazca Lines.
The Wari expanded their influence into the region during this period. But Kellner said the unusual burials are prompting researchers to consider whether interactions between the two societies involved cooperation and exchange alongside conflict.
Scientific tests could reveal where the mummies came from
Researchers are using CT scans, DNA testing, and isotope analysis to investigate the relationship. Similar isotope research on remains from the Wari site of Castillo de Huarmey has helped scientists reconstruct diet and movement within the empire.
Four ancient mummies found beside a Wari temple in Peru are challenging the traditional story of conquest.
Researchers say the Wari and Nasca may have cooperated, exchanging resources and skills rather than simply fighting for control. pic.twitter.com/mj7Q4KEUCa
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) October 2, 2026
Researchers also collected samples from human and animal remains at Huaca del Loro. Isotope analysis could reveal information about diet and geographic origins, helping determine whether the people buried there grew up locally or migrated to the region. Other archaeological evidence has revealed extensive exchange networks during the Middle Horizon, showing that valuable materials moved across communities beyond areas under direct Wari control.
Resources may have encouraged cooperation
Kellner said the Nasca and Wari may have had practical reasons to cooperate. The Nasca were skilled ceramic makers, while their lower-elevation territory supported crops such as cotton and coca. The Wari heartland around highland Ayacucho made growing cotton more difficult. Access to Nasca resources and technology may therefore have encouraged exchange between the societies.
Researchers have not yet established that the Nasca supported or cooperated with the Wari. Results from the new analyses are still being studied. But the burials are challenging researchers to look beyond warfare when examining how the Wari expanded their influence. “Humans are social animals, and we do cooperate and take advantage of the different strengths of each society,” Kellner said.
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