incan mummies - school district of altoona, altoona, wi · 464 incan mummies for the inca, death...

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464 Incan Mummies For the Inca, death was an important part of life. The Inca worshiped the spirits and the bodies of their ancestors. They believed in an afterlife, and tombs and the mummies they held were considered holy. Like the Egyptians, the Inca embalmed their dead to preserve the body. The mummies were bundled with offerings of food, tools, and precious items to help them in the afterlife. These “mummy bundles” were then buried or put in an aboveground tomb to be worshiped. Mummies have been found from many different social classes, and, as you will read, not all of them died natural deaths. RESEARCH LINKS For more on mummies, go to classzone.com Royal Treatment The mummies of Incan rulers were among the holiest objects of Incan religion. The mummies were actually treated as if they were still alive. They had servants, maintained ownership of their property, were consulted as oracles, and were taken to major festivals or to visit other mummies. The mummy shown at right in a 16th-century Spanish codex is being transported in the same manner as the living royalty. Human Sacrifice Some Incan mummies have been found on high mountain peaks in the Andes. These mummies were human sacrifices. Frozen for hundreds of years, the mummies allow researchers to examine the clothes, health, and sometimes even the internal organs of ancient humans. Scientists determined that this mummy was killed by a sharp blow to the head.

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Page 1: Incan Mummies - School District of Altoona, Altoona, WI · 464 Incan Mummies For the Inca, death was an important part of life. The Inca worshiped the spirits and the bodies of their

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Incan Mummies For the Inca, death was an important part of life. The Inca worshiped thespirits and the bodies of their ancestors. They believed in an afterlife, andtombs and the mummies they held were considered holy.

Like the Egyptians, the Inca embalmed their dead to preserve the body.The mummies were bundled with offerings of food, tools, and preciousitems to help them in the afterlife. These “mummy bundles” were thenburied or put in an aboveground tomb to be worshiped. Mummies havebeen found from many different social classes, and, as you will read, not all of them died natural deaths.

RESEARCH LINKS For more on mummies, go to classzone.com

Royal TreatmentThe mummies of Incan rulers were among theholiest objects of Incan religion. The mummieswere actually treated as if they were still alive. They had servants, maintained ownership of theirproperty, were consulted as oracles, and were takento major festivals or to visit other mummies. Themummy shown at right in a 16th-century Spanishcodex is being transported in the same manner asthe living royalty.

Human SacrificeSome Incan mummies have been found on high mountain peaks in the Andes. These mummies were human sacrifices. Frozen forhundreds of years, the mummies allow researchers to examinethe clothes, health, and sometimes even the internal organs ofancient humans. Scientists determined that this mummy waskilled by a sharp blow to the head.

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Page 2: Incan Mummies - School District of Altoona, Altoona, WI · 464 Incan Mummies For the Inca, death was an important part of life. The Inca worshiped the spirits and the bodies of their

AN INCAN GRAVEYARDThe Puruchuco graveyard liesbeneath a shantytown in Perucalled Tupac Amaru. In 1999,when archaeologists discoveredthe extent of the site, it wasabout to be bulldozed.Archaeologists began anemergency recovery effort.

• The remains of over 2,000men, women, and childrenwere recovered.

• The site may contain as manyas 10,000 individuals.

• Some bundles contained up to7 bodies and weighed as muchas 400 pounds.

• Between 50,000 and 60,000artifacts were recovered.

• One of the mummy bundlesbecame known as the “CottonKing.” The mummy waswrapped in about 300 poundsof raw cotton.

• The Cotton King’s bundlecontained 70 artifacts,including food, pottery, animalskins, and sandals. Footwearwas not common among theInca, and sandals were a statussymbol.

1. Making Inferences What do Incanmummification practices suggestabout Incan culture?

See Skillbuilder Handbook, page R9.

2. Forming and Supporting OpinionsWhy do you think mummification isnot a common practice in the UnitedStates today?

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Mummy BundlesAt a site known as Puruchuco, just outside of Lima, Peru,archaeologists discovered a huge Incan cemetery. Some of the mummies unearthed were wrapped in layers of cotton. The outside of the bundle might have a false head made ofcloth like the one shown at right. Inside the bundle were the mummy, religious offerings, and personal items. The illustration below re-creates the inside of an actual bundle that archaeologists unwrapped.

Corn, or maize, was theInca’s most importantcrop and is often foundin Incan burials.

This man wears a featheredheaddress that indicates highsocial standing.

The Inca used gourds asbowls and containers. Thegourds found in this bun-dle held food and cotton.

Gifts for the DeadThe Inca sometimes placed mummies in abovegroundtombs called chullpas.Descendants of the mummywould bring offerings of foodand precious goods to honortheir ancestor. This mummy isshown as it might haveappeared in its tomb.

Lima

PERU

PACIFICOCEAN

10° S

80°W

70°W