Archeologists Walter Alva, left, and Luis Chero, standing back, stand at the site where a new pre-Incan tomb has been discovered in northern Peru. (Proyecto Sipan/Associated Press)

Archeologists in northern Peru say they've unearthed a rare, well-preserved pre-Incan tomb dating back 1,600 years.

The tomb in Ucupe, 670 kilometres from Lima, had human remains as well as ceramics and jewelery, indicating the person was probably from nobility.

"It's clearly a first-rate find, because there is lots of iconography, which are elaborate," Canadian archeologist Steve Bourget told Reuters on Saturday.

"It will be a real pleasure to manipulate the data and compare them to sites like Sipan," said Bourget, who has worked in the area since 1986.

Sipan is a Moche archeological site located in the same region, famous for the tomb of El Señor de Sipan (Lord of Sipan). It is considered to be one of the most important archeological discoveries in the past 30 years because the main tomb was found intact.

Bourget said the team also discovered some technologically sophisticated objects made from copper.

A body was found inside a wooden sarcophagus, wearing a gold-coloured funeral mask and surrounded by 14 copper crowns, earrings, nose pieces and ear flaps.

"Some elements like sceptres and crowns of gold are those that identify people of the highest hierarchical level," said Peruvian archeologist Walter Alva, who said the remains of a young man and other animals, including llamas, were unearthed nearby.

Experts say the find could broaden knowledge of the Moche Indians, whose culture thrived from 100 to 800 A.D. and were known for their architecture, ceramics and irrigation techniques.

The tomb may be linked to the other Moche ruins in the area.