The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-28
HUNTING MUMMIEs IN SOUTH AMERICA
Vast Aboriginal Cemetery Near Aca Chilli Where Thousands
Preserved in the Dry Magnetic
the Early Peruvans Believed in a Future Life ~7s

number OF them 1t would seem that
| the friends, wishing to make sure that
| the dead could see whatever accidents
might occur on the long journey,
added q handful of extra eyes to each,
corpse They are very curious and
really beautiful things-aat on one
side, round and smooth on the other,
bright, amber-lfke yellow, holding
! light as AN opal, and varying in size
| from the tip of your little finger to
the end OF a mans thumb. They are
eagerly sought for the settings of
scarf pins. sleeve buttons, etc, and
are durable as most jewels. Every
body remembers the story that went
the rounds OF the press few years
ago-how Tiffany, the New York jew
eler, was sent a number of these
mummified eyeballs to be made into
a necklace. for some fair lady, and
how two or three of the workmen em-s
ployed in polishing them died \ ore
it was discovered that their sudden
demise was due to the fine dust which
flakes off from these relics of the
tomb. .A
Graves OF the Poor. $
The quality of the wrapptngss and
/ the various articles $Afound%sin the
graves enables one to judge with tol-7
cradle correctness What was the con-
dltion in life of the occupant, e. G.
Squier, who spent a long time search
Ing these Indian cemeteries, writes:
In Peru, as elsewhere, the hewers Of
wood, and drawers of water met in
death treatment, corresponding to-
that melted out to them in life. They
were thrust into crevices OF, the rocks
among the mountains, or into holes in.
the nitrous sand Of the coast, with
such scant paraphernalia for their
Wanderlngs in a future world as their
own Limited means, or those Of their.
and rude are the relics found with
their shriveied remains; gourd, per-
haDs carved wooden cup contain
ing amulets or charms: an implement
of toll, rude wooden idol and a few
curious stones to the natural peculi-
ar1t1es of which their superstitious
minds rendered reverence" The.
plebeian dead were buried In such
shallow graves that sometimes earth
quakes tossed them up to view, or
winds uncovered them. In order to
utilize all the arabic lands the ancient
that numbered the ground into great
heaps. There are thousands Of stone
piles ell over the country and every
pile holds its mummy. Mr.. Squier's
description of one that he uncovered
answers We'll for the rest. He says:
THE dead man sat alone among the
stones, wrapped In rustic cloth, with
some bean pods and ears of corn
pressed between his breast and knees
AT MS fest, enveloped in coarse cot |
ton cloth were two objects of inter-
est. obviously connected with his STU
perslitions. The first was a kind of
mask, or idol. cut out of wood, bear !
ing resemblance to the carved idols
brought from distant Pacific islands |
It is painted on the face and has |
holes OH the top and side, thru which |
thin cords, still remaining in place, |
were passed. as If to attach them in
front of some object. There was also
representing birds running around it's |
rim, packed full Of layers Of variously |
co]ored alpaca and vicuna wool, In |
perfect preservation .,- !
The Child-Mummies.
To us the graves of the child num- |
mics are most interesting. Each con-
tains some primitive playthirss. rude |
specimens of knitting, often showing |
places where stitches have Deen
dropped; tiny spindles and br1ids of
irregular thickness, evidently kept for |
the sake Of contrast with others het-
ter done. girl nunlnoys body was
wrapped precisely like hsr mothers: |
hair braided and laid around the fore
head, with cincture Of whita cloth,
orramented with little silver srangles,
and narrow bracelets Of silver hung |
Ot I:SI lleSHleSS arms. LII one SuCfl
grave I saw the dead body Of a parrot |
ut the little girls feet. which had
doubtless Eeen her pet. iii a boy
ml'mmy's tomb was his beloved sling, |
bound around his Forehead; and a
baby mummy. in1bedde1 in alpaca
wool in a queerly braided basket Of
rushes, with loops a. each end for
handles, had a rattle beside its little
body-a sea shell with pebbles inside,
the orifice closed with a pitch-like
substance.
Having spent long day at mummy
hunting, We rode back to AFRICA,
across the desert in the gathering twi-
light, somewhat awed by what we hkl
seen and. by thoughts naturally in
duced Of the mutability of all things
earthly; but feeling ourselves i'm
measurably richer not only by reason
of the two mummies before men
toned. but with a treasure trove of
petrified eyeballs, spindles combs,
needles, water jars and q carved
wooden face to add to my already
heterogeneous COLLECTION at home