The Chinchorro mummies are preserved remains of people from the Chinchorro culture in what is now northern Chile. These mummies are the oldest known examples of human remains that were intentionally mummified. They were created about 2,000 years before the first Egyptian mummies. The earliest Egyptian mummy found dates to around 3000 BC, while the oldest Chinchorro mummy dates to about 5050 BC.

A naturally preserved body linked to the Chinchorro culture was discovered in the Atacama Desert and is dated to around 7020 BC.

Studies of shell middens and bones show that about 90% of the Chinchorro people’s diet included seafood. Many ancient fishing cultures lived in the dry river valleys of the Andes, but the Chinchorro culture stood out by carefully preserving the bodies of the deceased.

In 2021, UNESCO declared the Chinchorro culture’s settlements and the mummification process in Arica and Parinacota a World Heritage Site.

Chinchorro mummification

The Chinchorro people, who lived a long time ago, mummified all members of their society, not just the wealthy or powerful. This practice made them very important to archaeologists studying ancient cultures. The Chinchorro treated everyone equally, even those who could not help others, such as the elderly, children, babies, and miscarried fetuses. Often, children and babies received the most detailed mummification treatments.

About 29% of known Chinchorro mummies were naturally preserved. The oldest natural mummy, called the Acha man, dates back to 7020 BC. Artificial mummification began around 5000 BC and became most common around 3000 BC. Chinchorro mummies were often prepared by removing internal organs and replacing them with materials like plant fibers or animal hair. In some cases, the skin and flesh were removed and replaced with clay. The oldest artificially preserved mummy, a child, was found in the Camarones Valley in Chile and dates to about 5050 BC. Mummification continued until around 1800 BC, overlapping with other ancient cultures in South America.

Since 1914, when archaeologist Max Uhle began work in Arica, about 282 mummies have been discovered. At a site called Morro-I, 96 bodies were found, including 54 adults (27 female, 20 male, 7 unknown) and 42 children (7 female, 12 male, 23 unknown). This shows the Chinchorro did not favor one sex over another for mummification.

Some believe the mummies helped guide souls to the afterlife and kept the living from being frightened. Another theory suggests the Chinchorro honored ancestors by carrying mummies during rituals and placing them in special positions. Mummies were often decorated, painted, and made stiff to be carried on reed platforms. However, since the Chinchorro society did not use pottery and was somewhat nomadic, it is hard to know for sure why they mummified the dead.

Scientists have found that the people of the Chinchorro culture shared a specific genetic group called haplogroup A2. Dr. Bernardo Arriaza, a Chilean anthropologist, studied Chinchorro mummification extensively. He published many studies and created a widely used classification system for the mummies. His book, Beyond Death: The Chinchorro Mummies of Ancient Chile, was published by the Smithsonian and translated into Spanish.

Although the Chinchorro changed their mummification methods over time, some practices stayed the same. Archaeologists found that soft tissues, including the brain, were removed from the body. Bones were reinforced with sticks, and the skin was filled with plant material before reassembling the body. The mummy was then covered in clay, wrapped in reeds, and left to dry for 30 to 40 days.

Uhle classified mummies into three types: simple, complex, and mud-coated. Later, archaeologists identified more types, including natural, black, red, mud-coated, and bandage mummies. Some mummies were also categorized as externally or internally prepared, or reconstructed. Different types of mummies were sometimes found in the same burial site. The two most common techniques were black and red mummification.

Of the 282 mummies found, 29% were naturally preserved between 7020 and 1300 BC. In northern Chile, the dry, salty environment helped preserve bodies naturally. The hot, dry Atacama Desert and soil rich in nitrates prevented decay, leaving naturally preserved mummies. Even though the Chinchorro did not artificially mummify these bodies, they were buried with reeds and grave goods.

The black mummy technique (5000–3000 BC) involved removing the body’s skin, drying the bones with heat, and reassembling the body. The body was covered with a white ash paste mixed with grass, soil, and hair. The skin was then refitted and painted black.

The red mummy technique (2500–2000 BC) involved making incisions to remove organs and dry the body. The head was separated to remove the brain, and the skin was covered with a clay mask. The body was packed with materials to restore its shape, and the head was replaced with a wig made of long human hair. The body and wig were then painted red.

The final mummification style, called the mud-coat (3000–1300 BC), used clay to cover and shape the body. The clay helped preserve the mummy and masked its smell. Artisans used this technique to create colorful, detailed mummies.

Tattooing

A Chinchorro mummy provides important evidence about the ancient history of tattooing in the region. The remains of a male (Mo-1 T28 C22) show a tattoo in the shape of a dotted line above his upper lip, similar to a mustache. This mummy is dated to around 1880 BCE (between 2563 and 1972 calendar years before the Common Era). It is considered to be the oldest clear proof of tattooing in the Americas and the fourth oldest such evidence in the world.