Mysterious Mummies

According to Arriaza (1995a), black may been as associated with death, passage or a change of status. Red may have connoted membership, social place, blood and change, perhaps indicating a change in a relative’s role while still emphasizing their belonging. The brown color of the mud-coated mummies, on the other hand, may have brought up connotations of earth and their sticking to the ground in particular may have showed belonging or territoriality. Though we do not know for certain why mummification styles or their associated colors changed over time, it does indicate changes in cultural perspectives and/or aesthetic associations.