Existing comment:
Earliest Intentional Mummies:
Who: The Chinchorro people.
When: 5,000 - 2,000 BC.
Where: The south coast of Peru and the north coast of Chile, South America.
What: The Chinchorro laid out their dead full length, removed the internal organs and muscles, and packed the bodies with clay and fibers. They reinforced the joins with sticks and glass cords, then modeled facial and body features with clay, finally painting the body black and decorating it.
In their last 500 years of mummy making, the Chinchorro modified their techniques by removing the brain and painting the body red.
Why: Archeologist Bernardo Arriaza believes that their mortuary practices developed out of a profound sense of grief coupled with abundant resources to support their mummification practices. |