El Castillo de Huarmey

El Castillo de Huarmey (English: "the Castle on the River Huarmey") is a pyramid-like structure on the coast of Peru, in the Ancash Region north of Lima, the most studied section of the archeological complex is the Wari mausoleum which was discovered in an undisturbed condition. The 2013 discovery at El Castillo de Huarmey of a royal Wari tomb containing 60 individuals and three burials of elite women suggests the need to reassess the Wari presence on the coast of Peru.

The 45-hectare (110-acre) area around the tomb has been the target of looters for decades. The team named the site, which provided evidence of the Wari Empire. El Castillo de Huarmey was excavated in secret over the course of several months in 2013 to prevent looting. In January 2010, Giersz's team located what appeared to be a subterranean tomb using aerial photographs and geophysical imaging tools on a ridge between two other pyramids. The ridge had long been a dumping site for rubble for tomb robbers.

In September 2012 the team found a stone throne room. Below this was a chamber sealed by tons of loose stone fill. The burial chamber of the royal tomb was discovered in early 2013 by a Peruvian-Polish research team