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Gruesome death rituals performed 1,200 years ago have been uncovered in dozens of tombs in Peru's Cotahuasi Valley.

Each tomb was filled with bones of up to 60 mummies, with infants kept in small containers, and others repeatedly ripped to pieces while decomposing.

Archaeologists have so far opened up seven of the tombs, recovering 171 broken mummies from the ancient ceremonial site known as Tenahaha.

Gruesome death rituals performed 1,200 years ago have been uncovered in dozens of tombs in Peru's Cotahuasi Valley. Pictured is the burial of a young woman found in the middle of one of the tombs. Analysis of her skeletal remains reveal that she suffered dental problems, including the loss of teeth

'When we think of the dead, we bury the relative and that's it,' Justin Jennings, a curator at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum told DailyMail.com.

'But back then, in the Andes, you continued to interact with those folks. People were moving bodies around all the time.'

The mummies in the tombs ranged in age from several days old to the elderly. But over the years rats had eaten away many of the remains, leaving only fragments.

In one tomb, researchers discovered 400 isolated human body parts, including teeth, hands and feet.

The few mummies that remained intact were bound by rope and placed in a foetal position.

The mummies in the tombs ranged in age from several days old to the elderly. But over the years rats had eaten away at many of the remains. This image shows three vessels found by the feet of an individual.

The mummies were buried with a variety of items including some beautifally decorated ceramic, pictured

Pictured is the partial skull of an individual found in one of the seven opened tombs. The dead, numbering in the low thousands, towered over the living from in their tombs high on the hills around the valley

'On occasion, there were mummies that were placed as offerings around the outside of the tombs,' said Jennings.

'They were broken apart but then placed back together in an anatomically correct position.'

Scientists are still trying to understand why some of the mummies and artefacts were broken up in this way.

One theory is that the movement of the mummies may have helped create a sense of equality among the community.

There is also evidence that the rituals went on for days at a time, with parties being held in the valley below the tombs.

Jennings said that the dead, likely numbering in the low thousands, towered over the living from in their tombs high on the hills around the valley.

'It seems to be a place where people were bringing down their dead to that location,' said Jennings.

'They were having parties. There is evidence that they were making and drinking corn beer, and placing offerings underneath them.'

But he adds that the picture remains blurry, as the rituals were performed over many years, and likely changed during that time.

A study of pottery at the site suggests it was used between about A.D. 800 and A.D. 1000, with the Inca settling there 500 years later.

Tenahaha was believed to have been a relatively peaceful area in Peru during those years.

Pictured is a dismembered mummy. A tupu, which was an artifact that could have been used to fasten clothing, fell through this mummy's rib cage when it was moved

Tenahaha appears to have been created as a place where people from nearby villages could feast. Parties, that lasted for several days at a time, were often held in the valley below the tombs. This image shows a storage area where food for feasting could have been kept

Pictured are some of the decorated cups found in the tombs. Human hands, lines, dots and happy faces can be seen. Pottery found in other parts of Peru had more gruesome images, largely due to a culture of violence

The wider area, however, was undergoing dramatic change, with populations growing, agriculture expanding and class differences emerging. 

At this time, the Wari was being established in the south-central Andes and coastal area of modern-day Peru.

And with it came widespread violence. Skull fragments on the islands close by revealed that 50 per cent had dents in their heads caused by violent blows.

Pottery in these areas were etched with drawings of fanged teeth and human trophy skulls.

In Tenahaha, only one per cent of skulls had dents. The pottery at the site is also decorated with what looks like depictions of people smiling.

Jennings believe Tenahaha may have served as a 'neutral ground' where people could bury their dead and feast.

'We have finished the excavations, and we're now trying to look at a different sites nearby during the same period to understand the relationship,' Jennings added.

Cotahuasi Canyon near the city of Arequipa in Peru is the deepest canyon in the world, and a site of archaeological significance. The canyon is an impressive chasm that the river has eroded between two enormous mountain massifs: the Coropuna and the Sulimana

Scientists are still trying to understand reasons why some of the mummies and artefacts were broken up in this way. One theory is that the movement of the mummies may have helped create a sense of equality among the community. Pictured is the Cotahuasi Valley