Chauchilla Cemetery
Ica
Chauchilla Cemetery is a prehispanic necropolis located approximately 30 kilometers south of Nazca in Peru's Ica region. It served as a burial site for the Nazca culture from around 200 AD until the 9th century. The cemetery is renowned for its exceptionally preserved mummified human remains, many of which still retain hair and skin due to the area's arid desert climate and the use of a protective resin applied during funeral rites. Tombs were constructed from mud bricks, and bodies were dressed in embroidered cotton garments before being coated with this resin, which helped prevent insect and bacterial damage. Although extensively plundered by grave robbers over time, restoration efforts since 1997 have returned scattered bones and pottery to their original tombs, and the site is now protected by Peruvian law. Visitors can explore this outdoor archaeological site on guided tours, witnessing mummies displayed in their original tombs — a unique feature among Peruvian archaeological sites. The nearby Estaquería site offers clues to the mummification process through wooden pillars believed to have been used for drying bodies. Chauchilla Cemetery also gained popular culture recognition as a setting in the film "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."
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Consejo: The best time to visit Chauchilla Cemetery is during the dry season to fully appreciate the preservation of the mummies in the desert climate. It is advisable to book guided tours in advance, as the site offers a two-hour exploration of the necropolis. Entry fees are modest, and discounts may be available for certain groups. Access is via a dirt road from the Panamerican Highway, so arranging transport ahead is recommended. Visitors should respect the site's archaeological significance and avoid touching the mummies or artifacts.
Datos interesantes
- •The mummies at Chauchilla Cemetery are among the best-preserved in the world, retaining hair and skin after over a millennium.
- •A special resin applied during burial rites helped protect the bodies from insects and bacteria, contributing to their preservation.
- •The nearby Estaquería site contains wooden pillars once thought to be for astronomical purposes but now believed to have been used for drying bodies in a mummification process.
- •Chauchilla Cemetery was used as a filming location inspiration in the movie "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," although fictionalized in the film.
- •Despite extensive looting, restoration efforts have successfully returned many scattered bones and pottery to their original tombs since 1997.
Historia
Chauchilla Cemetery was in use from approximately 200 AD to the 9th century, serving as a major burial ground for the Nazca culture.
The site was forgotten until its rediscovery in the 1920s.
Over centuries, it suffered extensive looting by huaqueros (grave robbers), resulting in scattered human remains and pottery.
In 1997, the Peruvian government enacted legal protection for the site, initiating restoration projects that returned many artifacts and bones to their tombs.
This protection helped preserve the cemetery as a valuable archaeological resource and tourist destination.
Guía del lugar
Original Tombs and Mummies200 AD - 9th century
Visitors can see mummified bodies in their original mud-brick tombs, many still clothed in embroidered cotton and coated with protective resin, offering a rare glimpse into ancient funerary practices.
Archaeological Artifacts200 AD - 9th century
Scattered pottery fragments and textiles recovered from the site illustrate the material culture of the Nazca people and their burial customs.
Estaquería Site (Nearby)Pre-Columbian period
An adjacent archaeological site featuring wooden pillars believed to have been used for drying bodies as part of the mummification process, shedding light on the preservation techniques used at Chauchilla.