Archaeologists have unearthed 26 tombs ahead of a planned highway extension through part of Peru's largest known pre-Columbian cemetery. The dig began on the outskirts of Lima earlier this week and should last about two months. According to experts, the tombs, wrapped in textiles, can hold one or more mummies.

Amidst Peru's shantytowns, archaeologists have unearthed a treasure -- 26 tombs from the Inca Empire dating back 500 years.

The discovery was made on the outskirts of Lima, near a pre-Columbian cemetery designated to become a highway extension.

The mummies are believed to date from 1470-1530 AD.

Archaeologist Guillermo Cock said, "This is a significant discovery and we are confronted with many questions. This relatively small group was buried a few meters away from the cemetery. It is the largest Inca cemetery known in Peru. And now its the focus of a multi-disciplinary investigation being worked on by specialists from the United States and Peru."

The Inca Empire united cultures along the spine of the Andes Mountains before Spanish conquistadors defeated them in the 16th century.

Much of excavation site lies in what are now dusty, desert shantytowns slated for demolition.

When Peru finalized its plans for a highway extension, the city put aside funds for an archaeological dig, expecting to uncover its past.

But it is the size of the discovery that has amazed archaeologists, who hope to unearth many more skeletons.

(CCTV.com March 8, 2004)