Vanessa

=Case Study - Ancient Human Remains =

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Oral Presentation by Vanessa
Topic: 

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=**__Chinchorro Mummies__ **=


 * The Chinchorro (small boat) were fishermen
 * They lived in the Atamaca desert of Southern Peru and Northen Chile, along the river
 * Culture is found dating from 7000-500BC
 * Diet of marine resources and vegetation, found through chemical restoration

The Mummies:

 * 282 mummies
 * Dated they started mummifcation in 5000BC
 * Reaching their peak at 3000BC
 * Found in the areas of the Chinchorro tribes, around the river
 * Shallow graves that had not been discovered till a long time later- school grounds
 * Covered in thick layer of mud then buried, few items found with them- fishing objects
 * Many discoveriers, Max Uhle

The Mummification Process:
Black Mummies:
 * 5000BC-2500BC
 * Statue like figures
 * Completely dismembered and reassembled, skin and bones only replaced, wooden inner frame, then the body was covered in stuffed with reeds, covered in clay and wraped in materials and sea lion skin
 * Fragile due to the unbaked clay they are covered in



Red Mummies:
 * 2500BC, plentiful area of Red Ochre[[image:http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/images/mummies_chinchorro_boy.jpg width="206" height="325" align="right" caption="Boy- Red Mummy "]]
 * Head was completely removed to take out the brain, then reconnected together with woven rope, small incisions were made on legs, arms, and abdomen to remove the muslces and organs
 * Replaced with reeds, clay, sticks and llama fur; openings created were sown up with human hair
 * Burn marks on the body suggest glowing coal drying
 * Most distinctive new feature on mask, open mouth instead of a little hole

Nartural Mummies:
 * The hot climate helped preserve some human remains creating mummies

Why, The Reason's:

 * All Bodies are believed to have died from natural deaths; not murdered or sacrificed
 * Instead it is believed to be as a Religious custom to mummify them
 * Placed in shrines before burried with a group pf 4-6 "family" members
 * Discrimination was not found; age, sex and social staus of the individuals were not important to the tribes and were all treated the same
 * Gives the people a second chance in the after life
 * Open mouth on clay mask, for easy return to the body, and for talking to the Gods and for feeding
 * Also believed to be an Art- earliest art in the America's



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At this present time efforts have been made to try and conserve the mummies as from being in the earth have begun to decompose slightly. Tests such as chemical restoration have helped deturmin the last meals of some mummies. Through the discoveries of these ancient human remains life in 5000BC has become clear in the areas of religion, rituals and the resources that were more common to this era.

These are some interesting videos of some peruvian mummies, (not chinchorro mummies) that were found higher North of Peru. [|Peruvian Mummies] [|Blue-Eyed mummies]

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Pictures:
Chinchorro (women) Mummy- []

Chinchorro (Black) Mummy- []

Chinchorro (Boy) Red Mummy- []

Map- [|www.beingindigenous.org/ magazine/chinchorro.htm]