In a stark discovery on Peru's northern coast, archaeologists have unearthed the 3,000-year-old remains of 14 people believed to be victims of a ritual human sacrifice, offering a glimpse into the country's ancient past, Reuters reported.

A research team found the skeletal remains near what is thought to be a ritual temple of the Cupisnique culture, a civilization that thrived more than a millennium before the Incas. Some of the dead were buried face down with their hands tied behind their backs.

"The way in which these individuals were buried is atypical, as are the traumas and injuries they suffered during life and the violence they endured," said Henri Tantalean, the archeologist who led the excavation, according to Reuters.