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| Chinchorro mummy display at the Museo Arqueologico San Miguel de Azapa (no human remains present in this image) |
As previously discussed on this blog, the Chinchorro are credited with creating some of the earliest anthropogenic mummies known to man. This feat is remarkable but even more so when you recognize that this cultural group lacked various other advanced technologies that are typically associated with complex mortuary traditions, such as mummification. This has led scholars to speculate as to what led the Chinchorro to mummify their dead, and today’s blog post will discuss the latest hypothesis that has been put forward to explain this ancient practice: the Arsenic Hypothesis.
The Chinchorro were an Archaic period (7000-1000 B.C.) population that resided along the coasts of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile and southern Peru. The Atacama Desert, the world’s driest desert, was and remains a very inhospitable place to live. Ancient human occupation sites exist at the mouths of rivers where fresh water was most plentiful. The Chinchorro seemingly thrived in this region for thousands of years, living off of the abundant marine and riverine resources made available to them in these river valleys and in the Pacific Ocean. It is hypothesized that the Chinchorro first took residence in the Camarones Valley of northern Chile and then expanded out to nearby river valleys. Their cultural traditions are characterized by their fishing technology manufactured from local shells, cotton and vegetal nets and baskets, and anthropogenic mummification practices.
While living in the world’s driest desert is challenging on its own this was not the only environmental challenge the Chinchorro faced. This region is also well known for its endemic arsenic and various other heavy metal exposure issues. These heavy metals, particularly arsenic, were created through the natural formation of the Andes, which were formed through tectonics and volcanic activity. While volcanos are no longer active in the region the arsenic and heavy metals produced by them are locked into the soils of the mountains, which seeps into the water that feeds the coastal river valleys.
Arsenic is a highly soluble element that is also odorless and tasteless, rendering exposure unrecognizable. Arsenic exposure in small doses will not irreparably harm individuals, but consistent and constant exposure can cause a myriad of pathological responses (e.g., cancers, skin lesions, miscarriages) and death. This problem was first recognized in the region in the 1960s when these very issues were identified as occurring at higher rates than in other areas, leading to modern Chileans to abstain from drinking the local waters and taking precautions against unnecessary arsenic exposure. Unfortunately, ancient populations were unaware of this danger and were likely exposed to extremely high levels of arsenic not just from the drinking water but from the soils and food (the latter of which would have received arsenic through the local water sources that sustained them).
In 2006 Bernardo Arriaza hypothesized that endemic arsenic exposure may have led to the Chinchorro anthropogenically mummifying their dead. He believed that high rates of miscarriages and infant death, which were already documented among the Chinchorro, may have led to community grief that was appeased through their complex mortuary practices. At the time he put forward this hypothesis, however, there had been no direct studies completed on the Chinchorro to support or refute this notion. Since then, several studies have been completed and they do demonstrate that Chinchorro were not only exposed to high levels of arsenic but metabolized the arsenic. Studies of Chinchorro hair showed extremely high levels of arsenic present, particularly among the anthropogenically mummified infants and children. A different study examined pathological responses to arsenic exposure and found some links, although nothing truly definitive.
Ultimately, there is evidence to support the Arsenic Hypothesis, which shows how the Chinchorro culturally manifested their grief and pain from living in this harsh environment. They used their sorrow to create memorials to their dead in the form of their anthropogenic mummification practices, which demonstrate their love and care for the deceased. This also demonstrates the links between culture and environment wherein people do not solely control their environments but are also influenced by it.
References
Arriaza, Bernardo, et al. "Exploring chronic arsenic poisoning in pre-Columbian Chilean mummies." Journal of Archaeological Science (2010): 1274–1278. Print.
Boston, Christine. Growth and Development and Paleopathological Analysis of Ancient Northern Chilean Populations as Related to Possible Arsenic Poisoning. London, Ontario: University of Western Ontario, 2007. Print.
Bryne, Sam, et al. "Were Chinchorros exposed to arsenic? Arsenic determination in Chinchorro mummies' hair by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)." Microchemical Journal (2010): 28-35. Print.
11 comments:
Dr. Boston,
I’m glad I’ve checked out this blog as I did not know that mummification was used by multiple cultures. For some reason when I hear the word mummy I think of Egypt and the mummies in their tombs and only that. Was the wrapping process to protect their bodies from decaying at the normal rate? Would my family be allowed to mummify me when I die? Is mummification and extinct practice? Are there people still in Peru and Chile (and or other places) that mummify their loved ones?
Great questions, Gwyn. Mummification occurred globally for various reasons and in various ways. I actually have several other blog posts on different mummification practices that you may want to check out. We aren't sure why they wrapped the bodies of the Chinchorro mummies, but as it happened nearer to the end of their artificial mummification practices it may have just been a way to expedite mummification.
As for mummification today I don't believe it is allowed every where or generally. Most cultural groups that had practiced no longer do so today. I do know some people have opted to be mummified, but that may have involved scientific study, thereby allowing such practices to be completed. It would require a specialist to complete, so your family can't do it but may be able to pay someone to do it in the appropriate circumstances. :)
I didn’t know about the chinchorro I’m glad I read about them and Learned about there unique ways of living and how they created tools to help them Live in a dry area where they had volcanos and the way they mummified the dead it was interesting to learn about
Why were there living in an environment that killed most of their population? other than my question I found this article very interesting about the chinchorro mummies and where they were found and the investments they lived in and just facts that I never knew about them.
Good question, Kennaisha. They most likely did not know or realize that the environment was doing that. The realization about arsenic and the dangers of it didn't come about until centuries later, so they couldn't know about the natural contamination in their area. Therefore they could not connect the deaths to the arsenic or other environmental factors
Plus, we have plenty of examples where people live in dangerous areas of the world (e.g., areas prone to earthquakes or hurricanes) who do not leave for various reasons (e.g., costs of moving, a feeling of home tied to the land, the status that comes with living in that location, etc.). Their choices for staying in the region may not have been very different from those used to justify living in dangerous places today.
Sabthana R.
After reading this blog, I completely agree with the Arsenic Hypothesis even though there may not be any concrete evidence. Personally, I feel as though the mummification that the Chinchorro people did was a direct link with the the arsenic that went and killed many of the people. It is unfortunate that so many people fell to illness that was caused by something so unexpected yet deadly. People were losing their loved ones and they could not even eat or drink their own resources. Of all possible examples of correlation between the environment and culture, I personally feel as though this particular one is the best I've ever read and depicted it well.
It is amazing that the Chinchorro had mummification at such an early time period, I had never heard of this before. I think the Arsenic Hypothesis is a very good one. Since there was and still is so much arsenic in the area, it is a logical explanation that because so many people were dying so early and so often that they would want mummification to preserve the person they lost in a memorial or a shrine.
It is very interesting how arsenic resides in the area and has continued to stay there to the point the locals are aware and cautious although sad those high levels of that dangerous chemical were not discovered until the 1960s. It is also very interesting that their ancestors adapted to the unknown poison at the time by mummifying the dead. Renn Bullard
This article examines the Arsenic Hypothesis, which contends that the widespread use of arsenic among the Chinchorro people led directly to their mummification. It's fascinating that the arsenic has remained in the region for so long that the people are aware of it and wary. It's also interesting to think about how their ancient ancestors coped with the toxin by mummifying the dead. The Arsenic Hypothesis provides an argument for why so many people were passing away so young and often and why they would desire mummification to preserve the deceased in a memorial or shrine.
-Jada Johnson
Your analysis of how the Chinchorro thrived in such a harsh environment and developed complex cultural traditions, despite lacking advanced technologies, highlights the resilience and ingenuity of this ancient civilization-Ahmesha johnson
I read this article and was very interested in the “arsenic hypothesis” behind Chinchorro's mummification. I was amazed at how they adapted to the harsh environment of the Atacama Desert, one of the driest in the world, and practiced mummification as a complex form of funerary ritual with limited technology. The hypothesis suggests that chronic pollution from the arsenic present in the region caused grief in the Chinchorro population, and the deaths of many infants and children may have led to mummification as a cultural ritual for them.
Furthermore, I felt that this discussion represents an attitude in which humans do not simply dominate their environment, but on the contrary are influenced by it and find ways to live within it.
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