Chauchilla Cemetery facts for kids
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Established | c.200 AD |
| Location |
Chauchilla, Nazca
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| Country | Peru |
The Chauchilla Cemetery is an ancient burial ground in Peru. It holds the well-preserved remains of people from a time before the Spanish arrived. These bodies are mummified, meaning they were specially prepared to last a very long time. Along with the bodies, many artifacts (old objects) have been found. This cemetery is about 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of the city of Nazca.
Contents
Discovering Chauchilla Cemetery
The Chauchilla Cemetery was first found in the 1920s. However, people stopped using it around the 9th century. This means the cemetery was used for a very long time, about 600 to 700 years!
It first started being used around the year 200 AD. This makes it a very important place for learning about the ancient Nazca culture. Sadly, the cemetery was damaged a long time ago. Because of this, the Peruvian government made a law in 1997 to protect it. Today, visitors can take a tour to see this amazing historical site.
Why the Bodies Are So Well Preserved
The bodies found in Chauchilla Cemetery are incredibly well preserved. This is mostly because of the very dry climate in the Peruvian Desert. The desert air helped to keep the bodies from decaying.
However, the way people were buried also played a big part. This is known as their funeral rites. The bodies were dressed in clothes made of cotton. These clothes were often painted with a special resin. The resin was thought to keep away insects and slow down bacteria that would normally break down the bodies.
Clues from a Nearby Site
Archaeologists learned more about how the bodies were preserved by looking at a nearby cemetery called Estaquería. At Estaquería, they found tall wooden pillars. At first, people thought these posts were used for looking at the stars, for astronomical sightings.
But now, experts believe these posts were used to help dry the bodies. This was part of the mummification process. This clue helped archaeologists understand why these bodies, which are thousands of years old, still have their hair and even some soft parts like skin attached to them. It's like a natural time capsule!
See also
In Spanish: Cementerio de Chauchilla para niños
