In
the previous post, we included a link to the National Geographic Special on
Inca Mummies (Inca Mummies: Secrets of the Lost World). Around fifteen minutes
into the program, there is discussion of some of the finds of the mummies of
Capacocha child sacrifices. The importance of the mountains themselves in the
ideology of the Inca and the results of techniques such as DNA testing are some
of the topics covered in this portion of the show. However, the special also
largely features a few additional sites, such as a settlement likely inhabited
after the coming of the Spanish conquistadors and especially the cemetery site
that was excavated from under the town of Tupac Amaru,
Although
these topics of the program may not seem to have direct relevance to the
cultural practices we are investigating, there are important aspects to note. One
of the focuses of the special is the interaction of the past and the present
through the presence of these mummies. Tupac Amaru is a site in which
excavators had only ten weeks to work before the need for sewers and plumbing
in the town would cause anything remaining to be destroyed. This conflict of
archaeology and the needs of the population is an interesting question
throughout the program which has not yet strongly impacted the excavation of
Capacocha mummies, found in areas unlikely to be inhabited, but could in the
future in some capacity. There is also the possibility that such conflicts may
impact any possible future discoveries of royal mummies. The program also
addresses the impact of the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors on the Inca
Empire. As this arrival not only drastically impacted the Incan people and their
activities, such as mortuary practices, but also likely was a direct cause of
the lack of surviving royal mummies (see Mummies of the world), this background
has interesting applications to this study.
The
second video (Mummified Child Sacrifice), also from National Geographic,
addresses more directly Capacocha. It shows scientists taking samples of hair
from the mummy named La Doncella to try and learn more about what her life was
like prior to her death. This video is interesting in the way that it shows
techniques used by scientists in such situations and also in the information
actually gained from the process.
To
make accessing these videos easier, they are both now linked at the top of the
page.
Inca Mummies: Secrets of the Lost
World. (2009).
National Geographic. Retrieved February 29,
Mummified Child Sacrifice. (2009). National Geographic.
Retrieved February 29, 2012 from
Mummies of the world. (2000). Retrieved February 7, 2012, from
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