When we say mummies, we think Ancient Egypt.
But the ancient Egyptians were not the first culture to practice mummification.
The Chinchorro people of Chile’s Atacama Desert were the first to mummify their dead.
The Chinchorro derived their livelihood from the sea and were expert fishermen.
The Chinchorro were also famous for their detailed mummification and funerary practices.
Despite being located near the sea, the Atacama desert is one of the driest places on earth.
This arid environment assisted in the preservation of corpses.
The Chinchorro first started mummifying their dead some 7,000 years ago.
Artisans would then sew them back together either using human or sea lion skin.
Usually children and babies received the most elaborate mummification treatments.
It is difficult to determine why the Chinchorro felt the need to mummify the dead.
Rise in humidity in the Atacama desert have caused the mummies to deteriorate rapidly.
Some even have mold growing.
A new museum is being build that will have controlled environment for preservation of the mummies.
Currently the mummies are being stored with no air-condition or humidity control.
