Natural Resources, School of
Date of this Version
2008
Document Type
Article
Citation
MUMMIES AND SCIENCE. WORLD MUMMIES RESEARCH, 2008
Abstract
A male child, sitting, 7 years, circumferential deformation, skin marked by coiled fibers, nostril plugs, consistent with Aymara practices was CT scanned. Puppae in the skin suggest exposition of the body previous to the funeral. Dark brown color at the skin suggest blood perfusion. A broken area at the right frontal with the skin partially inside is suggestive of perimorten trauma. There were no bone debris inside the skull and the CT images show two confluent fractures defined by radiating lines extending beyond the missing bone surface. The right eyeball is projected out, the tongue is outside the mouth, the meninges are pushed to the left, suggesting strong edema after trauma. The skin around the wound is also brown suggestive of blood deposition. The violent wound is possibly the cause of death. Calcified lesions at he right lung and Harris lines are consistent with P rimary Complex of tuberculosis. The funeral of this child, apparently inside a Chulpa, at the Altiplano, point not a violent not a ritual death.
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