A 2,000-year-old Peruvian shroud that pre-dates the Incan civilization has been returned to Peru where it is on display for the first time since it was smuggled out of the country some 80 years ago, the Associated Press reported.

The shroud, made of Alpaca wool, was returned to its country of origin with several other ancient textiles that were smuggled to Sweden by a diplomat in the '30s. The textile, found in a desert south of Lima, are from the Paracas civilization, an ancient society in the Andes mountain range and known for its intricate textiles that have weathered the centuries.

"If you wanted to find a Roman textile, you won't find anything because nothing was preserved," archaeologist Krzysztof Makowski, who has studied the shroud, told the AP. "Textiles are very fragile. There are very few countries in the world that have conserved fabrics. Peru is one of them. 

"Across the world, the discoveries of textiles of this age are much rarer than any precious metal," Makowski added.

The dry climate of the Paracas Peninsula helped preserve the 2,000-year-old cloth. 

The shroud, which was on display at the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg, Sweden, depicts cats, corn, frogs and other human-like figures. Experts say it could have been used to mark the civilization's farming seasons.

But it is still not known how the complex shroud, dyed yellow, green, red, blue and orange, was sewn together, Jahl Dulanto, an archaeologist looking into the Paracas culture at the Catholic University of Peru, told the AP.

Peru is in the process of requesting the return of its cultural artifacts from all over the world. Nearly 400 items from the ancient Incan city of Manchu Picchu were returned from Yale University in 2011. More Paracas textiles are expected to be returned from the Gothenburg museum over the next seven years, the AP reported.