Origin and History: The common belief among society is that the earliest signs of mummification practices are found in ancient Egypt. This belief, while very valid, is incorrect because the earliest signs of mummification were found in the dry coastal environments of the south-central Andes. This first discovery of a mummy was found in northern chile, thus leading to multiple discoveries thereafter of mummies. A reason for most of the discoveries being in coastal environments is because they remained in dry conditions, which is essential for human tissue preservation. Peru had also been a place where many mummies were found across many different time periods. Below, is a map of all the Peruvian mummy sites where discoveries were found. These mummies were mainly found in northern chile, as previously stated, and the south-central coasts of Peru. Also stated earlier, the environmental conditions favored this practice as it helped the preservation of the bodies. Furthermore, it had special soil conditions, and when the nitrates in the soil would mix with other factors, it would ensure the preservation of the bodies. Also below, is an example of another preservation technique the Andeans used. Freezing the bodies had become very common and was used so that no human tissue would dissipate, in turn preserving the bodies as best they can.
Here is a map showing all the mummy discoveries in Peru
History and Evolution: The mummy cult and its ceremonies were said to be of great honor to the Andean people. Children, for example, were a central part of the mummy cult as they were often sacrificed to the Incan Gods from the ages of 6-15 years old. These children were seen as the purest of beings and were being killed so they could go talk to the gods on behalf of the Andean people. This would often take place after society would be going through great hardships such as the death of an emperor, a natural disaster, or bad agricultural circumstances. This sacrificing ceremony was called the ritual of Capacocha. According to numerous sources, it is said that the children who participated in these sacrifices prepared months in advance. They changed their diet and started to wear jewelry and clothing that represented the elites. At the end, they would climb a mountain, get intoxicated, and then were usually then killed and buried right there with fine goods and other jewelry. This sacrifice is said to have strengthened the connection between the entire empire and was said to have strengthened the connection between the gods and the Inca people.
Here is a drawing that shows a ceremonial part of the sacrifices.
Here is the discovery of a mummy. Looking in the background, you can see that it is high in the mountains, where most of the sacrifices took place
The first discovery of an Inca mummy took place in Chile in 1954. Many of the discoveries were made at high altitudes and brutally cold weather. The most intact discovery of a mummy up in the altitudes was the discovery of Juanita and El Plomo. These were in fact 2 different discoveries in which the vital parts of the body were still intact, giving scientists the ability to dive deeper into the lives of these Incan people. For El Plomo, scientists were able to tell a lot of useful information because of the frozen conditions of the mountain tops. They were able to definitively tell that El Plomo was a male, 8 0r 9-year old that was most likely from a wealthy family because of his portly physique. Juanita was even more preserved and a lot more information was available to scientists. Juanita, when found, was almost entirely frozen. These conditions allowed her organs, hair, blood, and even her skin all to be preserved. This is significant because it now gives researchers and historians a look into the life of the Inca people judging from their bodies. Below is a picture of Juanita. As one can see, many of her features look somewhat preserved, due to the freezing temperatures high in the mountains that were able to preserve the body.
Here is the picture of a frozen mummy due to the harsh conditions of the high elevation
Here we can see the moutains and the rough weather conditions in which these ceremonies took place
For the world today, these discoveries can give a deeper insight into the history of the Andes region. Many of the facts are hard to find because there was no written record of these things. However, these discoveries provide a better record into the lives of the Andean people. As we look into our class themes, we can relate it to the time we went over the mummification process and how these were done. It also can give us a better understanding of how these Andean people lived, and help us on our exam but looking deep into history. You taught us everything there is to know about these people, however, these mummies can gives us a deeper look because we can tell where they came from, what family they were apart of and how much they value these ceremonies.
Acknowledgements:
Marilo. “Genetic Analysis of a Frozen Andean Mummy Reveals a Previously Unknown Lineage.” Ancient Origins. Ancient Origins, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
Castro, Joseph. “Final Moments of Incan Child Mummies’ Lives Revealed.” LiveScience. Purch, 29 July 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
Clark, Liesl. “Ice Mummies of the Inca.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, 24 Nov. 1998. Web. 24 Apr. 2017
Artifical mummies from the Andes Scientific Journal written and published by Sonia E Guillén.