Chinchorro culture
A prehistoric coastal culture of northern Chile and southern Peru, known for some of the world’s earliest intentionally mummified human remains.
Black mummies: Chinchorro mummies made through disassembly, treatment, and reconstruction of the body, often with a black manganese coating. This elaborate technique shows how Chinchorro practitioners rebuilt bodies after removing bones and organs.
Arica: A port city in northern Chile near the coast where many Chinchorro archaeological remains have been found. Its surrounding sites preserve prominent evidence of Chinchorro burials and settlement.
Marine hunter-gatherers: People who obtain much of their food from marine animals and plants through hunting, fishing, and gathering. Chinchorro communities relied heavily on coastal resources rather than farming.
Mummies of the World: Human and animal remains preserved through natural or deliberate processes in societies worldwide. Comparisons show how early Chinchorro practices differ from better-known Egyptian mummification.
Red mummies: Chinchorro mummies prepared with incisions, removal of organs, internal drying, and red ochre, often with a wig and face mask. This later technique preserved bodies through incisions and internal treatment rather than complete disassembly.
Camarones Valley: A river valley in northern Chile that reaches the Pacific coast south of Arica. Camarones 14 is a key site for early Chinchorro mummification.
Atlatl: A hand-held lever used to launch a dart with greater force and speed than throwing by hand. Atlatls were among the tools used in the region’s marine hunting economy.
UNESCO World Heritage Site: A place inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for its recognized cultural or natural significance. The Chinchorro settlement and artificial mummification complex received World Heritage inscription in 2021.
Bandage mummies: Chinchorro mummies whose bodies were wrapped or covered with plant fibers, animal materials, or clay. These simpler preparations reveal another way Chinchorro communities altered and preserved the dead.
Morro de Arica: A steep coastal headland overlooking the city and harbor of Arica, Chile. Archaeological finds around the headland document Chinchorro presence near Arica.