Human Sacrifices, Mummies, and Inca Ruins OH MY!

Pachicamac Museum and Archaeological Tour 6/25/2022

Pachicamac is an archaeological site that is home to an Inca

settlement that dates back to 200 A.D. The Incan word “Pachicamac” means Earth Maker. There were three main areas of remains that we toured: Mamacona (the Temple of the Moon), The Painted Temple, and The Temple of the Sun. Mamacona, the house where girls were prepared for sacrifices, was also used to teach girls vital skills like textile weaving, keeping house, taking care of men, sewing, and making Chicha (fermented corn drink). Yes, you read that correctly, young girls were sacrificed. It was considered a high honor to have a virgin daughter from an elite family to be chosen because of her beauty and status. She would live in the Mamacona for 3-4 years to be taught about her important role. When she was ready, she would be sacrificed by rope strangulation (perhaps hanging?) on the west side of the Temple of the Sun facing the ocean, during the solstice. Natives from around the Americas would pilgrimage and often fast for up to year to be able to access the Temple and participate in the sacrificial ceremony (men only). The only girls who trained with this girl would then remain and be given as a wife to a head priest. The next structure is the Painted Temple. Here, oxidized minerals would become shades of yellow and red. The Incas used these minerals to paint their pyramids and structures: red to represent the sun, yellow to represent the moon. You will see tents over many of these areas in an attempt to preserve the colors. Finally, at the top of the dunes, we came to the Temple of the Sun. Sacrifices to the gods were made here, both human and material goods such as coca, quinoa, cayenne peppers, textiles, ceramics, and important tools.

Continuing with the morbid history, we also learned about burial procedures during this time, as many grave sites and mummies have been found by archaeologists and historians. Anthropologists Dr. Lawrence Owens studied many of these mummies and concluded that the people during this time had a hard life, with various physical ailments such as bad backs, bad hips, tuberculosis, and syphilis. However, these civilizations lasted for thousands of years, suggesting that people were cared for by their community. The mummification process depended on a person’s social status, and typically involved being placed in a fetal position, being wrapped in textiles, and a mask and/or wig being placed on top. The more wrapping and adornments on the mummy meant a higher social status. Important items used in their lifetime would also follow them into the afterlife, such as tools, ceramics, textiles, and foods.

These grounds had been used by 3 different cultures before being conquered Inca 1450, who were then concerned by the Spaniards in 1533: they were the Lima (200-600 A.D.), the Wari (600-1100 A.D.), and the Ychima (1100-1450).

Sources: guided tour & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachacamac

Photos: Kate Strein 6/25/2022