Mysterious Mummies
Image credit: Richard Nowitz / National Geographic
Only 3 infants so far have displayed the bandage mummification style thought to have occurred simultaneously with the red mummy period. The bandaged mummies are the only mummies known to have sex or age differentiation besides the statuette or doll mummies (Arriaza 1995a).
A similar procedure was used as with the other mummies, with sticks used to reinforce the body. Strips of nonhuman or human animal skin were then used to wrap the individual. The face was then painted black and the body red (Arriaza 1995a).
Doll mummies:
The Chinchorro mummified their stillborn.These mummies have large heads and oval bodies with modeled arms and legs and no sex markers. They were painted red and given black wigs. These mummies may also contain other small animal bones, assumably for added structure (Arriaza 1995a).
Bandage mummies:
Doll mummies:
Image credit: Arriaza 1995a.