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New technology for Bolivia's ancient mummies

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Long dead yet still communicating. Project MUMBO provides the first ever in-depth bioarcheological analysis of Bolivia's mummies. 

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Long dead yet still communicating. Project MUMBO is a multidisciplinary study that crosses continents and provides the first ever in-depth bioarcheological analysis of pre-Columbian mummies from Bolivia. 

Guido Valverde backstage with the MUNARQ skull collection

Mount Sajama in Bolivia sits at 6,542 m.a.s.l

The Chullpas de Umala today.

Anthropologist Alice Paladin prepares an individual for CT scanning in La Paz, Bolivia 

Measuring surface moisture with an AW reader. Any trace of moisture can have irreversible damage on ancient fabrics. 

A CSB - a cost effective conservation solution.

Most of the MUNARQs Pre-Colombian mummies have been excellently preserved, thanks to the dry climate of the Andes region, and they provide a unique insight into the culture, religious practices, and everyday life of these societies. Preservation of the body was achieved by desiccation or freeze-drying, processes helped by the natural climatic conditions in certain areas such as deserts and the high plains. Mummies were often placed in a fetal position and wrapped into bundles using several layers of textiles, bound with cords. The deceased would then be interred in Chullpas, caves or dedicated rooms within a community, often in groups, and these chambers were reopened every so often so that new mummies could be added. Sacrificial victims, including children (capacocha), could also be mummified and placed in mountain-top shrines and other sacred sites (huaca)
https://www.laprensalatina.com/inca-girl-mummy-named-saphi-in-bolivian-ritual/amp/.

The mummy of a young girl known as La Niña or Saphi which means 'roots' in Aymara


The National Museum of Archaeology (MUNARQ) is Bolivia’s oldest museum and part of the Archaeology and Museums Unit of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Cultures and Tourism. It was declared a National Monument in 1990 for the special characteristics of its unique design.  Originally named Posnansky’s palace (more on Posnansky later) what is now the museum was built in neo-Tiwanaku architectural style as part of an indigenist movement in the 1930s and 1940s that sought to elevate the art, music and writings of Tiwanaku’s past and evoke designs of the pre-Columbian archaeological site. In 1922 the Bolivian government purchased the building from Posnansky and transformed it into the National Archaeology Museum.  Posnansky then became its director.. Since then, the Museum of Archaeology has housed a diverse collection, it currently has more than 50,000 registered and catalogued  pieces which span the cultures and civilizations of Bolivia’s past.

http://www.bolivian.com/arqueologia/

MUNARQ - Bolivia's National Museum of Archaeology is a classic example of neo-Tiwanaku architectural style


Arthur Posnansky was born in Vienna in 1873, then capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His career saw him as naval engineer, decorated veteran, builder, urban planner, filmmaker, photographer, researcher, writer, historian, miner, explorer, entrepreneur, paleontologist, anthropologist and archaeologist. In 1896 at the age of 23 when he was a Lieutenant in the Austro-Hungarian Royal Navy he emigrated to Bolivia where following his efforts in the war of 1903 he became a Bolivian national and was decorated as a National Hero. His fascination for archaeology arose following a visit to the ruins of Tiwanaku - 70 km west of the city of La Paz, Bolivia. In Bolivia he constructed museums, scientific research centers and national parks in Bolivia, explored the Amazon, was one of the first to seriously study the ruins of Tiwanaku and introduced the first automobile in the city of La Paz. Oh yes, he was also one of Einstein’s friends. Arthur Posnansky died in 1946 in the city of La Paz at the age of 73.


CT scanning of the pre-Colombian remains reveals insights into ancient pathologies 

Institute for Mummy Studies

Examining Bolivia's diverse bioarcheological record

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New technology for Bolivia's ancient mummies

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