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A pair of sharpened metal claws, believed to have been used in ritual combat, has been unearthed by archaeologists in Peru.

The artefact, believed to hail from the ancient Moche civilisation, was found in a nobleman's tomb in northern Peru.

Experts were digging at the site of the Huaca de la Luna near the city of Trujillo when they uncovered the claws along with a sceptre, earrings and a mask. 

Vicious: The claws, which were unearthed this week in Peru, are believed to have been part of a costume used in a Moche combat ritual

Sharpened: Historians believe that the claws would have been affixed to an animal skin outfit

Researchers have speculated that the claws, clearly designed for combat, would have been attached to a full-body costume made from animal skin.

The weapons would have been involved in a ritual battle between two men, in which the winner was given a pair of the claws as a prize, and the loser was sacrificed to the gods.

Commenting on the entire haul, archaeologist Santiago Uceda, told the Peruvican El Comercio newspaper: 'The sceptre signifies power; the earrings, status; and the ceramic piece is typical of an elite personage.'

Find: The claws were unearthed at the Huaca de la Luna dig site near Trujillo in northern Peru

Excavation: The artefacts were unearthed from the tomb of a noble, along with a bronze sceptre and a mask

It is believed the find could be more than 1,500 years old. The Moche civilisation, centred around Trujillo, pre-dates the more famous Inca society, and died out for unknown reasons around 800AD.

The researchers also found the nobleman's bones in the tomb, and plan to have them examined by experts from the U.S.

Further tests and research on the finds are expected to provide a more precise idea of the objects' age, which will be available in around six months' time.

PYRAMIDS, POTTERY AND BLOOD SACRIFICE: WHO WERE THE MOCHE?

The South American Moche civilisation are thought to have emerged around the time of the birth of Christ, and flourished in northern Peru for some 800 years.

They were an agriculturally and artistically advanced society, with intricate pottery and jewellery, as well as weapons and armour, numbering among archaeological finds.

However, the society appears not to have kept written records, which means information on dates and details of their culture can be difficult to reconstruct.

Artistic: The culture is known for artistry and murals, such as this image of a face from the Huaca de la Luna

Especially notable are the huacas, or pyramids, which the Moche people constructed, within which artefacts such as the newly-unearthed claws were found.

Two of the towering constructions, Huaca de la Luna and Huaca del Sol, referring to the moon and sun respectively, are decorated with vibrant murals and are now major dig sites.

The Moche had an advanced polytheistic religion, and appear to have carried out regular blood sacrifices, possibly to guarantee good weather. Experts have speculated that victims were left to bleed out over a long period of time, with some even suggesting other Moche people drank the victims' blood.