Over 1,000 years ago, a 50-year-old woman was ceremonially laid to rest in the ancient settlement of Pachacamac, near Lima, Peru. The mummified skeleton was discovered in a vast burial site just yards from the long-abandoned civilization’s temple, arranged in a fetal position. Archaeologists, mindful of preserving the well-maintained condition of the woman’s body, have maintained her in the same state as found, preparing to unveil the mummy for an upcoming exhibition at a French museum.
This week, the mummified skeleton of a 50-year-old woman, discovered in a fetal position at an ancient burial site in Peru, will be put on display.
Archaeologists have taken great care not to damage the well-preserved body of the woman, maintaining her in the same state as when she was originally discovered. This preservation approach is part of their preparation for unveiling the mummy.
Experts carefully lower the woman, discovered in the ancient civilization of Pachacamac, as they prepare the skeleton for its unveiling at the Musee de Confluences in Lyon later this month.
The mummy will be revealed to the public at the Musee de Confluences in Lyon when it opens later this month. From a pre-Inca civilization, the frail skeleton will form part of the new museum’s exploration of human representations of death in different ages and cultures around the world.
Pachacamac, located around 25 miles south of the Peruvian capital, was situated on the Pacific coastline. In 2012, more than 80 skeletons and mummies, including infants who appeared to have been killed for ritual reasons, were found in a spectacular 1,000-year-old tomb at the site. Beyond these bodies, a further 70 skeletons and mummies, all in the fetal position, were lying around, most of them still wrapped up.
The delicate skeleton will be included in the new museum’s exploration of human representations of death.
The Pachacamac civilization, based around 25 miles south of the Peruvian capital, revered the god Pacha Kamaq, whom they believed created the first man and woman.
Inhabiting the ancient town between the years 800 and 1450, the residents, who constructed 17 pyramids, eventually merged with the Incas during their conquest of much of South America.
The monumental site, spanning nearly 600 hectares of arid land, holds immense significance, considered one of the most important ancient settlements in South America, comparable to Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines.
The discovery of the mummy was made by the Ychsma Project, led by the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, which has conducted archaeological excavations in Pachacamac since 1999.