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The Juanita mummy, also known as the Lady of Ampato or the Inca Ice Maiden, is one of the highlights of a visit to Arequipa
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The Juanita mummy, also known as the Lady of Ampato or the Inca Ice Maiden, is one of the highlights of a visit to Arequipa.
Some 500 years ago, a finely dressed and well-fed noble Incan girl around twelve to fourteen years old was sacrificed on the cold heights of Ampato Volcano in Arequipa, alongside other youths.
The aim was probably to procure protection from the gods against future volcanic activity. Cold temperatures perfectly preserved their bodies, but the ice mummies were hidden from sight until the volcanic ash from the eruption of nearby Sabancaya volcano caused part of the glacier to melt.
Much of the burial site likely fell into the crater when this happened, but Juanita and the other mummies were discovered around the crater in 1995 during an expedition directed by Johan Reinhard. In the vicinity, spondyllus, diverse Andean grains and plants, and several gold statues were also found.
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