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Thousands of Inca Mummies Unearthed

Posted by michael on from the b-movie-fodder dept.

kgarcia writes "National Geographic has an article about one of the most important archeological discoveries about the Incas in recent times. As much as 10,000 mummies were discovered in an ancient Incan graveyard, in cocoons containing as much as 7 mummies per bundle."

15 of 31 comments (clear)

  1. Oh man... by misfit13b · · Score: 3, Funny

    And how many do they have to finally dig up in order to conclude this research? From what I read they sounded like they were intending to uproot a lot of these folks. You'd think they'd have to have SOME respect for the dead, no? But I do have to admit, lines like this one were pretty funny: "Preservation conditions are so good, we can determine the sex of people simply by looking at their genitals," said Cock.

    1. Re:Oh man... by the+phantom · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It also sounds as though there is some major construction going on down there. Even in the US, where we have laws like ARPA (Archaeological Resource Protection Act) and the NHPA (National Historic Preservation Act), construction projects, mining, and agriculture tend to be considered more important than archaeology (or "respect for the dead"). They may be moving a lot of bodies, but there are two choices:
      1) move those bodies, then study them and perhaps reinter them somewhere OR
      2) let the bulldozers destroy the lot.

      Which would you choose?

      --
      Rhapsody in Numbers
    2. Re:Oh man... by Skoshi · · Score: 2, Informative

      There are similar problems in most sites they find mummies or tombs at lately. In Alexandria, Egypt they had only a few weeks to excavate and save what they could from catacombs unearthed while building a bridge. As far as respect for the dead goes, mummification studies have come a long way since unwrapping parties in the early 1900's. Now scientists can study the remains via X-rays, CAT scans, endoscopy, and other non-destructive processes. After that, some of the more unusual mummies will probably be kept for further study, but a lot may be re-interred. Even if they didn't want to rebury at least some of the bodies, there is simply not enough funds, experts, or supplies available to keep them preserved.

      --
      "What are apples? Left, right, socialist...I don't know."
  2. Help! by fm6 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Buffy!!!!!

    1. Re:Help! by JabberWokky · · Score: 2
      Heh. I posted "Danger, Xander Harris, Danger!!" to alt.tv.buffy-v-slayer, warning Xander not to hook up with any sexy sultry rebound chicks post Anya.

      --
      Evan

      --
      "$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
  3. But it's April 17th by george399 · · Score: 2, Funny

    So, this guy's nick name is really Willy Cock?!

    --
    Patience is a virtue, but I don't have the time - TH
  4. noooo... don't make me do it. by realgone · · Score: 2, Offtopic
    Oh well, there's no helping it. Lemme hop into my little schoolmarm outfit.

    Ahem. Use as many as when referring to countable nouns, as much as when referring to uncountable ones. For example:

    "As many as 10,000 mummies..."
    "... as many as 7 mummies per bundle..."

    rather than:

    "As much as 10,000 mummies..."
    "... as much as 7 mummies per bundle."

    Yup, those years of Catholic schooling left me with emotional and grammatical scars. (And the aforementioned fondness for schoolmarm outfits.)

  5. Oh, those scientific names... by mfarah · · Score: 2, Informative

    About 40 of the large mummy bundles are topped with false heads, known to archaeologists as falsas cabezas.

    Well, no wonder... after all, that's exactly what "falsa cabeza" means.

    Anyway, it's GREAT news that this site has been found in time... but I can already see the logistical trouble in keeping in good shape thousands of mummies, let alone all their artifacts.

    --
    "Trust me - I know what I'm doing."
    - Sledge Hammer
    1. Re:Oh, those scientific names... by Lars+Arvestad · · Score: 2

      So they had body doubles already back then, huh? I thought that was a Hollywood invention!

      --
      Reality or nothing.
  6. Re:and the prophesies were made true on this day.. by yintercept · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wouldn't it be ironic if the 10,000 dead were killed by a plague and the virus had survived this long, only to wreak havok on the world?

    The article mentioned that the mummies were about 500 years old (2002-500 = 1502). This puts them in the ground just about the time Columbus was in the area. If there was a plague is likely something they caught from Europeans. So it's something we already had.

  7. 7 per bundle? by nytes · · Score: 2, Funny

    I didn't know they had nesting behavior.

    --
    -- I have monkeys in my pants.
  8. ok smart guy by geekoid · · Score: 2

    is :"noooo... don't make me do it. " a complete sentence?

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    1. Re:ok smart guy by ShavenYak · · Score: 2

      Yes, it is a complete sentence. It's in the imperative, with the subect "you" implied. The "noooo" should be capitalized, and have only one o, of course.

      --

      Hey kids, there's only 5 days left 'til Yak Shaving Day!
    2. Re:ok smart guy by realgone · · Score: 2
      If one disregards the facts that I typed it in lower case, abused an ellipsis for dramatic effect, and generally went to town on the "o" key, sure it is.

      "No, don't make me do it." is a perfectly acceptable sentence written in the imperative mood.

      Only reason I mentioned it in the first place -- I usually don't -- is that it pains me when /. editors don't take a second to proofread or fact check articles before posting them to the site as official content. (kgarcia already mentioned that English isn't his/her first language, so I'm certainly not trying to poke fun at him/her.)

  9. And people wonder.. by Havokmon · · Score: 2
    why I want to be creamated, and not sealed into a metal tube:

    After the scientists have finished studying the recovered mummies and artifacts, they will be returned to the Puruchuco area for display in a museum.

    There really is an afterlife!!

    --
    "I can't give you a brain, so I'll give you a diploma" - The Great Oz (blatently stolen sig)