Two Mummies Pre-Dating Incas Found in Southern Peru

[La_Serpiente]

Two Mummies Pre-Dating Incas Found in Southern Peru

AREQUIPA, Peru (Reuters) - Two of the oldest mummies ever found in Peru -- so well-preserved that one had an eye and internal organs intact -- went on display on Monday after being discovered by construction workers at a school.

Officials from the National Institute of Culture said the two mummies -- a young boy and a man in his mid-30s -- were at least 700 years old. They came from a culture that predated the Incas, who dominated a vast swathe of South America from Colombia to Chile until being toppled by Spanish conquerors in the 1530s.

"Two mummies have been found: a boy of about 5 and a farmer, about 35 years old, dating from between 1100 and 1300, the Chiribaya culture," Lucy Linares, an archeologist at the National Culture Institute told reporters. "What is striking is the level of conservation (of the mummies)."

Linares told Reuters the man had one eye open and "you can see his eyeball. It's perfectly preserved."

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Two Mummies Pre-Dating Incas Found in Southern Peru

[Forkboy]

1. Wow

how cool is that?

[maddezmom]

2. thanks for the post

maybe they'll be back on display before I leave Peru. Would love to get a chance to get a look.

[xchrom]

3. interesting

i love reading about this stuff.

[Rowdyboy]

4. Fascinating...Thanks for the link

Anything dealing with American anthropology/archeology intrigues me.