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Chinchorro The World’s Oldest Mummy. PHOTOS/ BBC
LIMA – The oldest mummy in the world, the Chinchorro mummy in northern Chile, has joined the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the Chinchorro mummy, which was found in the early 20th century, is more than 7,000 years old and older than the more famous pharaoh mummy in Egypt, which is 2,000 years.
At the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee held online from Fuzhou, China, UNESCO announced the addition of the Chinchorro mummy to the prestigious list.
“UNESCO confirms this status at the international level after considering the views of experts in various fields,”
“The cultural value of the Chinchorro mummies is tremendous and of global importance,” said Chilean anthropologist Bernardo Arriaza.
The official UNESCO site also added three sites related to the Chinchorro mummies, namely Faldeo Norte del Morro de Arica at Colón 10, Arica, and Desembocadura de Camarones.
“This mummy is the oldest known archaeological evidence of mummification production,” added UNESCO.
Chinchorro mummies preserved and planted with valuables, have aesthetic value and reflect the large role of the dead in Chinchorro society
Chemical analysis of bone remains and piles of shells shows that 90 percent of the Chinchorro people’s food source is seafood.