A new archaeological dig in South America discovered 42 human remains dating back to the 16th century. Experts say some individuals in the collection likely died due to syphilis.
The ancient bodies were unearthed from an old cemetery beside the famous Peruvian medical facility Hospital Real de San Andres.
San Andres Hospital in Lima Discovered with Remains from 16th Century
A man works on the remains of one of the 42 human bodies found buried at the old San Andres hospital in Lima on May 25, 2022. - Peruvian archaeologists found a cemetery of colonial times with 42 human remains and a crypt at an old hospital built in 1552 in Lima´s historical center.
The courtyard, located in Lima, had the skeletons of the people 30 centimeters beneath the landscape since the 16th century, which have remained buried up to this date.
In a report by Daily Mail, the Hospital Real de San Andres was constructed in 1552. Today, it is considered one of the oldest hospitals that still exists in the regions of South America.
The said hospital was specialized to cater to the medical needs of patients from Spain. The experts that worked on the ancient building were theorized to be the first locals of the particular century trained to gain knowledge in the field of medicine.
The colonizers intentionally built the hospital near a church as they believed that the patients would have better outcomes if they were closer to gods. Throughout its history, there were records showing that the Hospital Real de San Andres also admitted mentally ill patients.
In old traditions, the facility's patients are frequently placed in the building's corridors whenever a mass is held at the nearby church. The first doctors of the hospital routinely expose the people to the services to hear the speech from the priests loud and clear.
The majority of the human remains collected from the site were males. Alongside the prevalence of syphilis, some of these previous patients were found to have skull deformities.
Possibility of Clues From Incan Empire
According to the scientists that led the excavation, it is possible that the undisturbed courtyard also hides remains of older Southern American natives, including mummified Incas. This is because years before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, the people of Inca had already dominated the Andean regions.
A crypt from the courtyard's underground was also discovered, along with the pre-Hispanic tools and ceramics dating back to the age of the Incan empire. One of the 42 bodies still wears a cross around its neck.
Lima municipality's archaeology specialist Hector Walde explained that the people who could not survive the disease might have been buried in this newfound collection, UNILAD reports. The strong religion and ritual culture of ancient Lima are presented in the recent findings, Walde continued.
The main objective of the dig did not include finding royal mummies from the Incan empire, but the team was interested in studying those connected to the older civilizations, Walde added.
Spanish military Viceroy Andres Hurtado de Wildoso founded the Hospital Real de San Andres. The architecture of the hospital building was designed in the shape of a cross.
Around the archaeological site was also a larger cemetery, a garden, a pharmacy, office rooms, and a psychiatric ward.
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