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Discover the secrets inside the world's oldest mummy 0
Researchers analyze Chinchorro mummies to uncover the mysteries of this civilization.
A total of 15 mummies, mostly children and fetuses, were brought to the Los Condes clinic in Santiago, Chile, last week for DNA analysis and CT scans, AFP reported yesterday.
The mummies are all over 7,000 years old, embalmed by the Chinchorro people and buried in the desert.
The research team hopes to use modern medical technology to recreate the appearance of the Chinchorro people, decode their genes and better understand the mysteries of this civilization.
`We collected thousands of images with millimeter precision,` said radiologist Marcelo Galvez.
The research team also wants to learn more about the mummification method of the Chinchorro people.
Mummification is a private process for the Chinchorro people, according to Veronica Silva, head of the anthropology department at Chile’s National Museum of Natural History.
The youngest mummies are unborn fetuses and newborn babies.
About 180 Chinchorro mummies have been discovered since 1903. All were buried outdoors, placed near the sea.
`We are talking about the oldest artificial mummies in the world. The Chinchorro mummy is 7,400 years old. This system existed 2,000 years before the first mummy was born in Egypt,` Silva shared.
Computed tomography images brought many surprises to the research team.
Researchers also took skin and hair samples from the mummy for DNA analysis in hopes of determining the genetic link between the ancient Chinchorro and modern humans.
Phuong Hoa