Residents living on the world's oldest mummy ⁇

"Living on a graveyard may seem strange to some people, but we'm used to it," said Ana Maria Nieto, who lives in the Chilean port city of Arica. The city of Arica is built on the sand dunes of the Atacama Desert near the border with Peru. Atacama is the driest desert in the world. However, long before the city was founded in the 16th century, the land became home to the Chinchoro community. Last July, the Chinchoro culture gained prominence with the inclusion of hundreds of mummies in the World Heritage List by the United Nations Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Chinchoro Mummy was first documented in 1917 by Max Arle, a German archaeologist who discovered several preserved bodies on the beach. But it took decades of research to determine their age. Eventually, radioactive carbon dating showed that the mummy was more than 7,000 years old - more than two millennia older than the famous Egyptian mummy. Chinchoro culture Porcelain culture from 7,000 to 1,500 BC Seated fishermen and hunters She lived in what is now northern Chile and what is now southern Peru Mummified their dead in a complex and exciting way It is believed that mummification began as a way of keeping the memories of the dead alive Chinchoro Mummy thus becomes the oldest archaeological evidence of artificially mummified corpses. Anthropologist Bernardo Arias, an expert on chinchilla culture, says that the people practiced mummification. This means that although naturally mummified chinchilla bodies have also been found in the excavations, the chinchoro people did not allow their dead bodies to be mummified naturally by the dry climate, and used funeral arrangements to preserve them. Anthropologist Arias says that the internal organs were taken out through the small incisions made in the body and the skin was also removed, leaving the body cavity to dry out. The chinchillas then fill the body cavity with natural fibers, which are then inserted into the body to keep the body straight, and then the skin is pierced with the help of pangas. They attach thick, black hair to the mummy's head, apply clay to the mummy's face, and put on a mask that opens the eyes and mouth. Eventually the body is painted in striking red or black. Some minerals, gemstones, manganese and iron oxides are used to make pigments. Anthropologist Arias says that the mimicry practices and sorcery practices of the chinchillas were significantly different from those of the Egyptians. The Egyptians not only used oils and bandages for mummification, but mummification was reserved only for members of the aristocracy. But chinchillas mummified not only males, females, children, infants but also embryos regardless of their status. Living with the dead Hundreds of mummies have been found in the city of Arica and other excavations over the past century, and locals are accustomed to living with or often on corpses. The discovery of human remains during construction work and the digging up of mummies by dogs digging through the ground have been a local experience for generations. But it took them a long time to realize how important these human remains were. "Sometimes people here tell us how kids used to play football with skulls and take off mummies' clothes, but now they know when they find something, let them know without touching it," says archaeologist Janina Campos Fuentes. Ana Maria Nieto and Pola Pimentel, two locals, are delighted that UNESCO has recognized the importance of chinchilla culture. The two women run associations with locals near two excavation sites, and work closely with a team of scientists at the nearby Tarapacá University to help the community understand the importance of chinchilla culture and to ensure that those valuable excavations are preserved. Plans are also afoot to acquire a reciprocal functional section for a neighboring museum. The purpose is to display chinchilla remains in stained-glass stalls and display them to visitors. The concept that will be implemented here is to train the locals as guides so that their heritage can be praised by the visitors. So far, only a small fraction of the more than 300 Chinchoro mummies on display. Most of them are housed in the San Miguel de Azarpa Archaeological Museum. The museum, which is owned by Tharpaka University, is located 30 minutes from Arica and displays fascinating illustrations of the mummification process. Although a larger museum is planned to house more mummies, more money is needed to ensure that the mummies are properly preserved so that they do not decay. Anthropologist Arias and archaeologist Janina Campos believe that many undiscovered objects are hidden in Arika and the surrounding mountains. But many more resources are needed to explore them. Mayor Gerardo Espindola Rojas hopes that the inclusion of Mummy in the World Heritage List will boost the tourism industry in his area and raise additional funds. But he knows that any development work must be done in the right way, in collaboration with the surrounding community, while preserving archaeological sites. "Unlike Rome, which was built on top of old ruins, people in Arica live on human remains. We need to protect this mummy." He says town planning laws are in effect here and archaeologists are involved in any construction work to ensure that valuable ruins are not harmed. Mayor Espindola strongly believes that the heritage of Arica should remain in the hands of its people and benefit the local community, unlike in some parts of Chile where land has been purchased by tour operators and multinational corporations for the purpose of raising money from tourist attractions. Ana Maria Nietzsche, president of the Neighbors' Association, is confident that this new publicity received by Mummy will benefit everyone. "Even though this city is small, people are very friendly. We want tourists and scientists from all over the world to come here and learn about this incredible Chinchoro culture. We have spent our whole lives with it."