LIMA, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Peruvian archaeologists are exploring a mass grave belonging to the ancient Inca civilization in the country's northern coastal region of Lambayeque, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Some 24 mummified corpses were found in the grave, along with funerary offerings such as ceramics, grains and finely woven robes said Luis Villacorta, deputy minister of cultural heritage and cultural industries.

The grave, found at an archaeological site known as Tucume and home to 26 pyramids, will help confirm the extension of the Inca Empire. The empire flourished along western South America between the 13th and 16th centuries in parts of what are now Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and other countries.

"Following the discovery, the research work will continue in the laboratories, where the textile conservators and scientific specialists will begin to interpret the data," said Villacorta, who arrived at the site on Wednesday to oversee the exploration work.

Archaeologist Jose Manuel Escudero said that one of the mummies could be a high-ranking personage, given the quality of the funerary offerings found alongside the body.