Archeologists uncover "Priest of Pacopampa" at Pacopampa Archaeologic Project dig site in northern Peru, which they estimate to be about 3,000 years old. (Peru Ministry of Culture)

Archaeologists digging in Peru's northern highlands at a location dubbed Pacopampa discovered a tomb thought to be 3,000 years old and honoring an elite religious leader.

According to Reuters, the archeologists titled the discovery "Priest of Pacopampa" after the archeological zone where the tomb was discovered.

The grave was ornamented with porcelain bowls and covered with six layers of ash mixed with black dirt.

The "Priest of Pacopampa" is estimated to be nearly 3,000 years old and was covered with 6 layers of ash mixed with earth and decorated with ceramic bowls and two seals.

The tomb also contained two seals along the upper margins, indicating ancient ritual body paint used for nobles, according to Peru's Culture Ministry on Saturday.

One seal had a jaguar pattern facing west, while the other featured an anthropomorphic face facing east.

The project's leader, Yuji Seki, characterized the enormous tomb as approximately 2 meters in diameter and one meter deep, adding that it was "very peculiar". He also saw that his body was resting face down with half of his torso stretched and his feet crossed, which was unusual.

A bone formed into a tupu, or a huge pin used by Andean Amerindians to hold cloaks and ponchos, was also found alongside the remains, according to Seki. Tupus are typically used to carry a woman's blanket, he noted.

Seki believes the associations to be "very peculiar" although the person is a male, adding that the tomb may belong to a leader at the time.

Archeologists have been working on the Pacopampa Archeological Project since 2005, according to the Ministry.

The rock strata beneath the uncovered tomb suggested that he was buried around 1,200 B.C.

In 2009, archeologists discovered the tombs of the "Lady of Pacopampa" and the "Priests of the Serpent Jaguar of Pacopampa" in 2015.

The "Priest of Pacopampa" tomb is thought to be five centuries older than the preceding two, while the "Priest of Plutos," found in 2022, is thought to be older.