Preserved
Bodies Around the World, Excerpt
Wander down the
hidden passageways of the Monasterio de Santa Catalina in Peru's second-largest
city and marvel at the icy Inca mummies in the Museo Santury. Officially called the
Museo de la Universidad Católica de Santa María, this museum exhibits the
frozen body of an Incan maiden - "Juanita, the ice maiden"
– sacrificed on the summit of Nevado Ampato more than 500 years ago. Tours
consist of a video, an examination of burial artifacts, then a respectful
viewing of the frozen mummy preserved in a carefully monitored glass-walled
exhibition freezer. Juanita is not on display from January to April – another
child sacrifice discovered in the mountains around Arequipa takes her place.
Only guided visits are permitted and the whole spectacle is done in a
respectful, non-ghoulish manner.
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