Children's mummy in Peru: Archaeologists discover head with tufts of hair during excavations

Research team discovers head of mummy with hair in Peru. © Screenshot Instagram/ unmsm_

The photos of the remains of a corpse look eerie. The research team is thrilled with the mummy of a child in Peru.

Lima – The mummy is more than 800 years old. She lay more than two meters deep in the earth in a grave. The head, separated from the rest of the body. It is a child between the ages of 12 and 13. Whether it was a boy or a girl is not yet clear. But the child is likely to have lived between 1,200 and 1,400 AD and belonged to the Lima or Ichma civilization, according to archaeologists at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in the Peruvian capital Lima in a press release.

Children's mummy in Peru: head with tufts of hair found during excavations

The coarse sand in the area with high salinity would have triggered a natural mummification process, explains archaeologist Yomira Huamán, head of the excavations. Skin remnants on the arms, forearms and both legs have been preserved. On the head, which has been severed from the body, there are still tufts of hair, according to the archaeologist. In the jaw still a part of the teeth.

They are the first human remains found during excavations in Unit 8 in the Cajamaarquilla archaeological complex in Lima. According to the researchers, the entrance to the tomb had been covered with tapial, a so-called mud stone. In Egypt, on the other hand, the discovery of a hidden chamber in the Great Pyramid of Cheops made headlines.

Research team discovers head of mummy with hair in Peru. © Screenshot Instagram/ unmsm_

800-year-old children's mummy – plate and stone weapon in the grave

In addition to the mummified corpse of the youth, the excavation team discovered grave goods such as a stone weapon (boleadora), a plate (mate), and a copper needle. Plant remains of corn and chili peppers were also found in the burial chamber.

Mummy in the tomb from the pre-Inca period

The mummy and the grave goods from the pre-Inca period will now continue to be examined in the laboratory by specialists, according to the statement. The researchers want to find out, for example, what the child has done in his life, whether he has suffered from diseases and what he might have died of. Excavations at the site are scheduled to continue at least until the end of December 2023.

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The archaeological site of Cajamarquilla is located about 24 kilometers east of the capital Lima. Cajamarquilla is considered a formerly thriving commercial center in the pre-Columbian era. Archaeologists have already discovered a mummy tied with ropes in another tomb. Even this find of Cajamarquilla is considered unique. (ml)