The Mummy’s Curse Revisited: New Developments from Northern Chile

Figure 1: Reproduction of the mummies and their burial

In a previous blog post the topic of the mummy’s curse was addressed, and it was largely rejected.  New evidence, however, has turned this notion on its head.  The discovery of poisoned clothing on two mummies from northern Chile has breathed new life into the curse and provide evidence to support its authenticity.  This blog post will address the evidence that demonstrates proof that the mummy’s curse may be a real thing after all (at least in some cases).

In 1976 road construction near Iquique, Chile, uncovered a magnificent find: the mummified remains of two young women, ages 9 and 18-20, who had been sacrificed as part of the intricate Capacocha ritual (Figure 1).  The Capacocha ritual is an Inca specific custom that was held to memorialize important events related to the Inca emperor, such as his death; end abhorrent weather phenomenon; foster plentiful harvests; or meet the requirements of specific religious ceremonies.  The women were interred with 104 burial goods, including ceramics, Spondylus shell, chuspa bags, silver ornaments, metallic figurines, and many more.  In addition, they were clothed in red garments and the bodies and burial goods were covered in a red powder.  These women are believed to have traveled from Cusco, Peru, a trip that would have taken several months, to their final destination near Iquique for the purpose of sacrifice, which would have linked the local northern Chilean populations to the Inca empire (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Map of South America demonstrating distance between Cuzco to Iquique

 

Initially, the burial was widely studied, but the powder found in the burial and that dyed their clothing was not considered anything special.  The use of red powder, such as red ochre, is commonplace in mortuary rituals of the past among cultures around the globe.  The significance of the red powder among the Inca is one that signifies elite status, and given the importance of the Capacocha ritual it made sense that the women would be covered with it.  More recent study by Dr. Bernardo Arriaza and colleagues, however, provides new insights into the red powder.  While initially written off as a benign aspect of the tomb it is now realized that the red powder is actually cinnabar, which is what is used to collect mercury.  Furthermore, the nearest cinnabar mine is several thousand miles away, meaning it was transported a great distance to be used as a dye and to cover the burial. 

These are significant finds for the interpretation of the burial, but they also indicate another important consideration for archaeologists: they make the study of these women incredibly dangerous.  Inhalation of cinnabar can lead to poisoning and potentially death (dependent on the amount of cinnabar that is consumed and the health of the individual).  Arriaza and his team caution that the presence of red pigments in Inca or other pre-Columbian Andean burial should be met with extreme caution until the red pigment is identified.  In the event that the pigment is red cinnabar special care needs to be taken in studying the burial goods and human remains, as well as in their storage.  Ultimately, failure to do so will lead to the realization of the mythical mummy’s curse, which up until now was considered an overblown work of fiction. 

This new evidence suggests that what started out as a cautionary tale to ward off looters of ancient burial grounds may actually have some truth attached to it.  This does not mean that archaeologists need to be fearful of excavating, but they should be more cautious and aware when they do it.  This is not the first-time archaeologists have had to deal with potential hazards in the field, but this is a good reminder of the potential hazards that archaeologists may face when excavating.  Ultimately, we never know what we will find when we start excavating, and one should always remember safety first.

Works Cited

Arriaza, B., Ogalde, J. P., Campos, M., Paipa, C., Leyton, P., & Lara, N. (2018). Toxic Pigment in a Capococha Burial: Instrumental Identification of Cinnabar in Inca Human Remains from Iquique, Chile. Archaeometry, pp. 1-10.