A mummified female child that was once on display at Corpus Christi Science and History Museum is being returned to Peru, its country of origin.
The mummy was brought to the Corpus Christi Junior Museum by Albert Heinem, director of the city’s museum. He brought the mummy from the Natural History Museum in New York City in 1957.
The mummy is believed to be a 6-8-year-old female from Peru who died more than 2,000 years ago. X-rays indicate the mummy fits common Peruvian mummification practices.
The Inca child was placed in the fetal position with its hands crossed to her chest and knees tucked in. X-rays indicate the mummy fits common Peruvian mummification practices.
The Inca mummy is approximately 19.5 inches long. The head is turned over the left shoulder, but from photos evidence of the artifact from the 1950s, this shift happened within the last several decades.
Roughness on the skull indicates some type of material adhered to the head of Inca mummies.
Wrapped material near the jaw appears to be a type of cloth. Inca mummies were sometimes wrapped in a type of cloth over the area of the face.
There is a coiled tassel of rope at the bottom, which is dense and forms a ‘base.’ According to Peruvian officials, this is a common practice in Inca mummies.
The rope casing that wraps around the mummy shows signs of wear and tear from handling over the years.
