Pre-Inca mummy discovered by cleaners near rubbish site

A Pre-Incan mummy has been discovered dumped near rubbish at a site by cleaners in Perus ancient city Chan Chan.

Workers found it after stumbling across a cardboard box that had been tied up with rope, Reuters reports.

Chan Chan is the biggest Pre-Colombian city in South America and was built around 850 by the kingdom of Chimu. The city thrived until it was conquered by the Inca Empire in 1470.

However, sources within the Ministry of Culture told El Comercio it is probably a pre-Hispanic in origin. Its not a Chimu mummy, a source said.

David Carrasco, from the municipal security at Huanchaco District, said: It (mummy) was found by cleaners in the rubbish area which was in front of Chan Chans entrance in a box.

This box was wrapped in rope. They (cleaners) thought it was rubbish and put it in the compactor but one cleaner opened it up and discovered it was a mummy.

The mummy has now been taken to a local police station to find out how the ancient remains ended up there. It has been suggested the remains were stolen from the original burial location.