Peruvian Mummies, 1850. Creator: Unknown

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Peruvian Mummies, 1850. Creator: Unknown

Peruvian Mummies, 1850. Two days journey from Calama lies an old Peruvian burial-place, called Chin-Chin. The bodies are there in a semicircle, to the number of 500 or 600 - men, women, and children - all in a sitting posture, staring vacantly forward, and partly decayed, partly covered with sand...The general opinion is, that these bodies were buried here, but it is most probable that they buried themselves. For, in the first place, there is no place near where they could have lived; and, secondly, there are amongst these mummies several women with sucklings at their breast. Lastly, the fact of their being all in the same position, and with an expression of pain, which is yet visible on their countenances, may serve to shew that these miserable creatures withdrew themselves from the ravages of the Spaniards, and, in despair, sought death in this awful wilderness. From "Illustrated London News", 1850

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Media ID 36201256

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Dead Dead Bodies Dead Body Desert Dried Gruesome Mummification Mummy Mysterious Mystery Peru Peruvian Atacama Desert Dessicated Mummies Mummified

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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative image captures the haunting scene of the Peruvian mummies discovered in the Atacama Desert in 1850. The exact location is believed to be the ancient burial site of Chin-Chin, two days' journey from Calama in Peru. The photograph, published in the Illustrated London News in 1850, depicts around 500-600 mummies, including men, women, and children, all in a sitting position with vacant stares and partly decayed, partly sand-covered bodies. The circumstances surrounding the discovery of these mummies remain a mystery. Some believe they were buried there, while others speculate that they may have buried themselves in despair, seeking refuge from the ravages of the Spanish conquerors. The fact that several women are depicted with suckling infants at their breasts further supports the theory that they may have died voluntarily. Despite the uncertainty of their origins, the mummies' expressionless faces and the desert landscape behind them evoke a sense of sadness and despair. The image is a poignant reminder of the past, captured in black and white and preserved for future generations to contemplate the mysterious circumstances of these ancient Peruvian lives.

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