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A 3,800-year-old mural featuring a human head on the body of a toad has been unearthed by archaeologists in Peru.

The incredible discovery was made at the Vichama archaeological site in Peru and is thought to have been created by one of the oldest known civilisations in the Americas.

It's believed to represent and celebrate the return of rain after a period of drought.

It was carved by the Carals civilisation, who settled in the large settlement of the Supe Valley.

The Caral civilisation flourished in the region between the fourth and second millennia BC.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

The mural shows a toad with human features above an anthropomorphic head and it was discovered at the entrance to the building's ceremonial hall.

According to experts, the toad element is believed to represent water with the human head 'waiting' for the appearance of rain.

Director Ruth Shady added that the mural represents the return of rain after a period of drought.

The Caral mural, believed by experts to be 3,800 years old, is reportedly linked to a period of famine that inhabitants experienced at the time.

As well as the mural, scientists also found a wall design representing four human heads with their eyes closed as two snaked coil around them towards a seed symbol.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

The snakes are said to represent a water deity which makes the seeds grow.

Other findings in the area have included musical instruments, including 37 cornetts made of deer and llama bones as well as 33 flutes.

In 2000, Marco Machacuay, who was chief of excavations at the time, and his colleague, Rocío Aramburú, discovered a large shape etched on the ground in circular stone lines near Caral.

This image, known as a geolyph, is located on the desert floor just west of the main site at Caral. When traced out, the lines form the design of a human face with long, streaming hair and a gaping mouth.