An anthropologist from the National University of Colombia examines human remains recently found at a massive tomb complex in Bogota in a photo taken April 22, 2008.

Archaeologists also discovered the ruins of a nearby settlement next to the burial site, including what may be evidence of a temple.

The site covers some 12 acres (5 hectares) and contains crucial clues about the two little-known civilizations that occupied the area for about 1,500 years, experts say.

Rife with artifacts from both periods, the newfound complex is a potential treasure trove of information, anthropologist Ana Maria Groot said.

"A settlement like Usme offers the chance to research the settlement's development through different moments in a prolonged occupation," she said.

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