THAT'S A WRAP
Mummy of ‘elite Inca man’ who died in Peru 600 years ago is unwrapped by experts
THE MUMMIFIED remains of an Inca nobleman who lived in Peru between the 14th and 15th centuries have been unwrapped by experts.
The painstakingly careful excavation has been captured in some pretty grisly yet amazing footage.
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The mummy wasn't in the regular shape that you would expect.
Instead, it was wrapped up in a funeral bundle.
Experts from the Museum of Tucume in Peru examined the strange human parcel, which was found in an area of Tucume known as Huaca Las Abejas.
Museum spokeswoman Bernarda Delgado Elias said in a video published by the Peruvian Ministry of Culture: “The skull area is protected by additional clothing. Moreover, there was cotton placed between the skull and the clothing.”
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She added: “This means they were very careful during the embalming process, which suggests he may have been a nobleman during that time.”
Archaeologist Manuel Escudero Villalta said: “The embalming process, clothes and offerings make us believe he was a member of the Incan elite in Tucume.”
The funeral bundle was said to be wrapped in a cover that was decorated in ancient symbols.
A similar bundle featuring a cover was found around the same area during excavations back between 1989 and 1992.
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The experts have unwrapped the mummy in the hope of doing more tests so they can learn about who the mysterious individual was.
Tests on the mummy will continue to take place until the end of December.
The skeletal remains are being examined as well as any objects found near them.
It's thought that the Tucume area was a major hub between 1350 and 1450 AD when it was inhabited by the Chimu civilisation.
The area was later conquered by the Incas who lived there from around 1450 to 1532 AD.
Inca Empire – the key facts
Here's what you need to know...
- The Inca Empire was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America
- It was believed to have had the most advanced political and administrative structure of the time
- The civilisation is believed to have come from the Peruvian highlands sometime in the early 13th century
- And its last stronghold was conquered by the Spanish in 1572
- At its height, the empire included Peru, southwest Ecuador, western and south central Bolivia, northwest Argentina, a large chunk of Chile and a small part of southwest Colombia
- The language spoken by Incan people was Quechua, which still persists today through the central Andes
- Incan leaders encouraged the worship of Inti, a sun god
- And Incan kings were considered to be "sons of the sun" – and were known as the Sapa Inca
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