Mummy Research
The multidisciplinary study of mummies and human remains includes 16 individuals discovered during the expeditions of Johan Reinhard and Antonio Chávez in the 1990s on the summits of the Ampato, Misti, Pichu Pichu, and Sara Sara volcanoes in southern Peru. Today, they represent an invaluable source of knowledge not only about the Inca Empire but also about living conditions and ancient diseases.
The state of preservation of the remains varied and depended on the burial location and the processes that occurred after the body was deposited. The level of bone mineralization in children is generally lower than in adults. As a result, in archaeological contexts, the preservation of children's remains is usually poor. In the case of the sacrificial victims from the Misti, Pichu Pichu, Ampato, and Sara Sara volcanoes, their condition was further affected by taphonomic processes and climatic factors. In some cases, natural conditions led to the complete degradation of soft tissues (Misti), while in others they enabled their exceptional preservation (Ampato), allowing for advanced laboratory analyses to be carried out.
The individuals sacrificed on Misti and Pichu Pichu were examined using traditional anthropological methods focused on skeletal analysis. The mummies from Ampato and Sara Sara, however, were studied using radiography and computed tomography (CT). These analyses revealed that they were not just skeletons, but also preserved soft tissues and internal organs.
The latest research results can be followed in Publications.
Anthropological research
The anthropological analysis of the individuals included determining age at death, patterns of physical activity, and the presence of pathologies and injuries. In the case of children, sex cannot be determined based on bones alone, as sexual dimorphism appears during puberty. However, figurines and elements of clothing, such as tupus (pins), suggested the possible sex of the victims. Age at death was established based on tooth eruption and compared with bone size and the state of epiphyseal fusion in long bones. The frozen mummies were examined non-invasively using computed tomography (CT).
3D scanning
In collaboration with scientists from Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 3D models of the mummies, skeletons, and artifacts were created using scanning and photogrammetry. Thanks to these models, remote measurements can be taken, and the mummies can be presented to the public with respect for the deceased and without compromising the conservation process.
Face reconstruction of the Lady of Ampato
In collaboration with Swedish artist and archaeologist Oscar Nilsson, a facial reconstruction of the famous Ice Maiden of Ampato was created. The reconstruction was carried out using the Manchester method, commonly used in forensic science. It was then completed with metal tupus (pins), as well as a handwoven shawl and headdress specially made for the occasion using traditional techniques by weavers from the Center for Traditional Textiles in Cusco.
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