Chinchorro mummies facts for kids
The Chinchorro mummies are very old preserved human remains from the Chinchorro culture. This ancient culture lived in what is now northern Chile. These mummies are special because they are the oldest examples of people being artificially preserved by humans. They were made up to two thousand years before the famous Egyptian mummies. The oldest Chinchorro mummy made on purpose dates back to around 5050 BC.
The Chinchorro people mostly ate seafood. They were unique among ancient fishing cultures because they put so much effort into preserving their dead.
In 2021, the Chinchorro culture's settlements and their special mummification process in Arica and Parinacota were recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This means they are very important to human history.
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The Amazing Chinchorro Mummies
The Chinchorro culture was special because they mummified almost everyone in their society. This included not just important leaders, but also babies, children, and older people. This shows how much they valued every member of their community. It's especially interesting that children and babies often received the most detailed mummification treatments.
When Did Chinchorro Mummification Happen?
Scientists believe the Chinchorro people started making artificial mummies around 5000 BC. This practice became very popular around 3000 BC. The oldest artificial Chinchorro mummy found was a child from the Camarones Valley in Chile. This mummy dates back to about 5050 BC. The Chinchorro continued to make mummies until around 1800 BC.
Learning from the Mummies
Since 1914, many archaeologists have studied the Chinchorro mummies. One important researcher was Max Uhle. Later, Dr. Bernardo Arriaza, a Chilean anthropologist, greatly increased our knowledge about these mummies. He published many studies and created a way to classify the different types of Chinchorro mummies. His book, "Beyond Death: The Chinchorro Mummies of Ancient Chile", helped share this knowledge with the world.
Archaeologists have found hundreds of Chinchorro bodies. For example, at a site called Morro-I, 96 bodies were discovered. These included adults and children, both male and female. This shows that the Chinchorro did not prefer to mummify one group over another.
Scientists think the Chinchorro mummified their dead for several reasons. One idea is that it helped the spirit of the person survive. Another popular idea is that they had a special way of honoring their ancestors. There is evidence that the mummies were sometimes carried with the groups and given special places during important events. The mummies were often decorated and colored, and they might have been made stiff so they could be carried easily.
Different Ways to Make a Mummy
The Chinchorro people used several different methods to mummify their dead over many years. These methods changed, but some things stayed the same. For example, archaeologists found that the skin and all soft parts, including the brain, were usually removed from the body. After this, sticks were often used to make the bones stronger. The skin was then filled with plants before the body was put back together. Finally, the mummy often received a clay mask. The body was then wrapped in reeds and left to dry for a long time.
Archaeologists have identified several types of Chinchorro mummies. The two most common techniques were the Black mummies and the Red mummies.
Natural Mummies: Nature's Help
About 29% of the Chinchorro mummies found were preserved naturally. This happened because of the special environment in northern Chile. The soil has many natural salts that stop bacteria from growing. The very dry and hot conditions of the Atacama Desert also helped. They quickly dried out the bodies, preventing them from decaying. Even when bodies were naturally mummified, the Chinchorro people still buried them carefully, often wrapped in reeds with special items.
The Black Mummy Method
The black mummy technique was used from about 5000 BC to 3000 BC. This method involved taking the dead person's body apart. The head, arms, and legs were removed from the main body. Often, the skin was removed too. The body was then dried using heat, possibly from hot ashes or coal. All the flesh and soft tissues were carefully removed from the bones using stone tools.
After the bones were clean and dry, the body was put back together. The spaces inside were filled with grass, ashes, soil, or animal hair. A white ash paste was used to cover the body and fill out the person's face. The person's skin, sometimes in pieces, was put back on. Sometimes, even sea lion skin was used! Finally, the skin (or the white ash layer, especially for children) was painted black using a mineral called manganese.
The Red Mummy Method
The red mummy technique was used later, from about 2500 BC to 2000 BC. In this method, the body was not taken apart as much. Instead, many small cuts were made in the body to remove the internal organs and dry the inside. The head was cut off to remove the brain. After this, the skin was put back on, often covered with a clay mask.
The body was filled with different materials to make it look more natural. Sticks were used to make it strong. The cuts were sewn up using reed cords. The head was placed back on the body, often with a wig made from long human hair, sometimes up to 60 cm long! A "hat" made of black clay held the wig in place. Except for the wig and often the face (which was black), the entire mummy was then painted with red ochre.
Mud-Coated Mummies
The mud-coat style was another way the Chinchorro mummified their dead, used from about 3000 BC to 1300 BC. For this method, the artisans no longer removed the organs from the dead body. Instead, they covered the bodies with a thick layer of mud, sand, and a sticky material like egg or fish glue. This made the mummies colorful and also helped cover any unpleasant smells from the drying body. Once finished, these mummies were often placed firmly in their graves. This change in style might have happened because the Chinchorro met other cultures, or perhaps they became concerned about health or sickness from decaying bodies.
Bandage Mummies
The bandage technique is quite rare. Only three mummies, all infants, have been found using this method. It seems to be a mix of the black and red mummy techniques. The body was taken apart and made strong like the black mummies. However, the head was treated like the red mummies. Instead of clay, animal and human skin were used to wrap the body. These mummies were painted with red ochre on the body and black manganese on the head.
Ancient Tattoos
One Chinchorro mummy shows us how old tattooing is in this region. This mummy, a male, has a tattoo above his upper lip that looks like a dotted mustache. This tattoo dates back to around 1880 BC. It is believed to be the oldest direct evidence of tattooing found in the Americas! It is also the fourth-oldest such evidence found anywhere in the world.
See also
- Burial ritual
- Cultural periods of Peru
- Mummy
- Mummy Juanita
