A
major mummy discovery has just been announced in Peru.
The remains of 200 sacrificed
fishermen were recently found during archaeological excavations under a
sandy beach near Huarmey, Peru, approximately 170 miles north of Lima.
Surprisingly, 107 of the fishermen had become natural mummies, allowing
the story of their grisly sacrifice to be known.
In 1350 A.D., the Chimu
people conquered an area inhabited by the fishermen and their families.
According to the archaeologists who have studied the remains, the Chimu sacrificed
200 of the conquered men possibly as a sign of thanks to the sea god known
as Ni.
The 107 preserved bodies
show what happened: the men, dressed in loin cloths, had been blindfolded
with the turbans they usually wore on their heads. All had their hands
bound behind their backs; some had their feet bound as well. They knelt on
the beach, facing the Pacific Ocean. Then their executioners cut
through the collarbone, into their chests, directly into their hearts.
"The position that the
fishermen were in--face down, their hands tied and faces covered--made us
think that this was no ordinary [death]," chief archaeologist Hector
Walde told reporters.
In fact, the Chimu left the
fishermen mostly unburied. Some of the remains were mutilated and dumped
into a mass grave (and some had been destroyed by graverobbers over the
ensuing 650 years). But most of the bodies were left where they died. In
time, they were covered by the sand which helped preserve them.
According to
archaeologists, the feet are the best preserved part of the bodies. But
the bodies tell the tale of the sacrifice.
"It's impressive to
think that even though 600 years have gone by, the pain and anguish these
people went through when they died can be seen in the cadavers and even
the outlines they left in the sand," Walde said.
Although the Chimu did not
leave any burial goods with the bodies (also an indication of a
sacrifice), family members of the fishermen did. Archaeologists say that
they left a large offering nearby of many ordinary items (fishing nets,
food and drink stored in pottery jugs) that the fishermen would be able to
use in their afterlife.
The archaeologists
discovered the site completely by accident. As part of an archaeological
impact study for the development of a new Pacific port for a mining
company named Antamina. At first, the archaeologists discovered a few
mummified corpses and thought they might have found an ancient cemetery.
But the bodies suggested a more dramatic possibility.
News of the discovery have
been made public now that the remains have been studied and placed in a
small storage facility in Casma, a nearby town. The beach has since been
destroyed to create the port. Antamina, however, will build a museum for
the remains near the port. It is unclear, from current information, if the
mining company actually owns the remains, or retains the right to display
them.
Finally, DNA samples taken
from the mummies will be used to determine in descendants from the
fishermen live in Huarney. If so, they may be able to determine if any
diseases or even physical traits have been passed down to modern-day
inhabitants.
