Did you see the statues in the image above? They were newly discovered in a temple of Chimú culture, a people that occupied territories in what today corresponds to Peru and was responsible for building Chan Chan, one of the largest pre-Columbian cities to flourish in South America.

(Mother Nature Network / Cris Bouroncle / AFP / Getty Images)

In fact, the city - today an important archaeological site - has been studied and searched by scientists for a long time. However, no one had yet found the mysterious statues, artifacts that remained "hidden" for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Discovery

According to archaeologists, 20 statues in total were discovered, although one of them was destroyed by the action of time, and all are made of wood. The idols are about six inches high and, as you may have noticed in the pictures, are arranged in niches along two walls in a sort of corridor.

(Mother Nature Network / Cris Bouroncle / AFP / Getty Images)

The statues were carved between 750 and 850 years ago, and most feature clay masks, each depicting a different character, and the features are slightly creepy - well, at least that's our opinion here in the Curious Mega writing! Each idol was also found holding a kind of scepter and a circular object that looks like a shield in its hands, objects that led archaeologists to suggest that the figures may represent ancient warriors.

(Mother Nature Network / Cris Bouroncle / AFP / Getty Images)

The place where the figures meet is 33 meters long and appears to consist of an ancient passageway to a ceremony center or plaza in Chan Chan, and passing through this corridor of masked statues should have been an impressive experience at a time. The city was busy.

(Mother Nature Network / Cris Bouroncle / AFP / Getty Images)

In addition to the statues, archaeologists have discovered an impressive mural with raised motifs, most of them depictions of waves. However, the researchers identified a zoomorphic figure consisting of a feline-looking creature among the patterns.

Chimú culture flourished around the year 900 of the Christian Era and disappeared in the mid-15th century, when it fell before the rule of the Inca Empire. The city of Chan Chan, where the discoveries were made, is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the statues and mural were found during restoration work on the site.

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