The Mummies of the Laguna de los Cóndores
The preservation of the human remains from the Laguna de los Cóndores
is extraordinary. What could account for such preservation in an
area of high rainfall and humidity? In spite of the rainy climate
and the water, which often falls in sheets from the overhand protecting
the chullpas, the dry ledge where the chullpas are located harbors
and dry and cold microclimate that contributed to the preservation
of the organic remains.
The Chachapoya appear not to have embalmed their dead; rather,
they deliberately chose burial sites whose microclimates enhanced
preservation. The evidence suggests that it was the Inca who introduced
the Chachapoya to procedures such as embalming and evisceration.
Preliminary studies point to the skill of the Laguna de
los Cóndores embalmers. The skin of the mummies has
been treated and appears leathery, while unspun cotton placed
under the cheeks, in the mouth and in the nostrils, preserved
facial features. They controlled decomposition by emptying
the abdominal cavity through the anus, sealing the orifice
with a cloth plug. The bodies had been reduced to their
minimum volume and weight: joints are strained to the point
that the flexed position is almost unnatural. Finally, the
bodies were wrapped in layers of cloth, creating a microclimate
that promoted conservation.
From left to right: Mummy bundle
wrapped in painted cloth; Stylized face embroidered on a
mummy bundle; Mummy of an adult male (Adriana von Hagen)
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