An enormous, multicoloured mural, which is believed to date back around 3,000 years, has left archaeologists stunned.
Uncovered on the northwest coast of Peru, the mural, decorated with fish, stars and mythological beings, is still adorned by vibrant blue, yellow, red and black paints.
Dr Ana Cecilia Mauricio, an archaeologist at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, led the team which found the mural.
Dr Mauricio said: "This mural at Huaca Yolanda is unique. Nothing like it has ever been recorded in the area."
The mural was uncovered at the archaeological site of Huaca Yolanda
|Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
"The imagery, decorative techniques and exceptional state of preservation make this a truly unprecedented discovery in the region," she told Live Science.
The excavation began in early July at the archaeological site of Huaca Yolanda, and the mural was found during the first week of digging.
The find is thought to date back to between 2000 and 1000BC, known as the Formative Period, so called because the first complex societies in what is now Peru arose at this time.
Exceptionally large in size, the mural measures six metres long and almost three metres tall.
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The find is thought to date back to the Formative Period
|Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
Dr Mauricio said that on the south face of the mural there is a large bird, probably an eagle or a falcon, with outstretched wings and a diamond motif on its head.
On the north side, plants, stars and human-like figures which "seem to represent shamans" can be seen.
The mural is believed to have reflected coastal artistic traditions which are easily distinguished from others in the rest of the country by the imagery of fish and fishing nets.
Dr Mauricio added: "Current evidence suggests that the mural decorated interior spaces within the main atrium of a Formative Period temple."
Researchers have urged authorities to protect the important discovery
|Pontifical Catholic University of Peru
During this period of time, religious temples were seen as the main spaces of community power because shamans were considered to be at the top of social hierarchy.
Researchers have urged the Peruvian Ministry of Culture and regional officials to protect the important discovery.
According to the team, the area in which the mural has been found is known for threats of looting and damage from agricultural machinery.
In a statement, the archaeological team said: "Protective fencing, archaeological conservation, and surveillance are urgently needed to preserve this rare window into a formative and sophisticated past."