A ‘WATER CULT’ temple used for fertility rituals 3,000 years ago has been unearthed by archaeologists.

The religious monument is more than 131ft long and is located in the springs of a river in northern Peru.

Inside the temple — at the Huaca El Toro site in the Lambayeque region — archaeologists found a square with an altar that was likely used for fertility rituals with water taken from the Zana Valley river.

It is thought to date back to between 1,500BC to 292AD when water was considered divine.

The archaeology team was led by Walter Alva who discovered the royal tomb of the Lord of Sipan, also in Peru, in 1987. They unearthed 21 graves containing ceramic pieces and metal objects such as knives that had been placed next to the bodies.