Mysterious Mummies

The mud-coated mummies mark the beginning of the decline of Chinchorro mummification practices and demonstrate likely changes in Chinchorro cultural perspectives around death. The first known mud-coated mummy has been dated to 2620 BCE and the practice lasted until about 1700 BCE (Arriaza 1995b).

 

The entire bodies were first smoked. As the mummification period went on less and less had their organs removed. The bodies were covered with a mud, cement-like substance. Sticks were not used to reinforce the body. Unlike with the other mummy types, these mummies were not designed to be moveable as the mud substance was sticky and the process of applying it glued the mummy to their resting place. Grave goods were painted red in later period. While all the other mummies were buried on their backs in an extended position, the mud-coated mummies were buried to one side (Arriaza 1995a).

 

Mud mummies thus reflect a cultural change. It likely only took 1-2 days to prepare mud mummies as opposed to the weeks for the other variations. The Chinchorro may have felt it was now unnecessary or less important to preserve the soul, to have this form of spiritual medium or to practice this coping ceremony. They may have also had less time due to other activities (Arriaza 1995a).