Americas' First Gun Victim Found in Peru

The first gunshot victim in the Americas—an 16th century Inca warrior blasted in the back of the head by Spanish Conquistadors—has been discovered by archaeologists poring over the bones of 72 Incans killed in a 1536 uprising in Peru. The remains of the warriors were uncovered in a Lima suburb during road construction.

Other victims showed evidence of being hacked, impaled, torn and bludgeoned with more primitive stone weapons wielded by fellow Indians, who apparently fought alongside the Conquistadors. The battle had been folkloric for centuries, but evidence of collusion between natives and imperialists brings the traditional account into question. (More science stories.)