17:18 | Arequipa (Arequipa region), Nov. 26.
The
Lady of Ampato —popularly known as Momia Juanita (Mummy Juanita)— and the pre-Hispanic goods found at the summit of Ampato Volcano (Arequipa region) were declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation.
According to the resolution, this recognition was awarded to 81 pre-Hispanic goods —owned by the
Ministry of Culture— housed at the Museum of Andean Sanctuaries, including the Lady of Ampato.
The resolution provides that these pre-Hispanic goods were found during archaeological excavations carried out at the project "Santuarios de Altura del Sur Andino" (High Sanctuaries of the Southern Andes) and are housed at the Museum of Andean Sanctuaries, which is administered by the Catholic University of Santa Maria in Arequipa.
Among the 81 pre-Hispanic goods are four mummies, including the Lady of Ampato or Juanita, as well as its respective funerary offerings comprising ceramic pots, miniature metal and organic material sculptures, as well as textiles belonging to the Inca culture.
Their significance is based on historical, aesthetic, scientific, and social values, as they (the goods) offer a tangible testimony of technological, social, and cultural development of the Inca society. In addition, they are evidence of what Spanish chroniclers said about Capacochas.
Likewise, they have relevant social significance because —since their discovery in 1995— inhabitants living near the Ampato Volcano identify with this discovery, given that they still revere mountains as deities, to which they make offerings.
(END) RCM/MAO/RMB/MVB
Published: 11/26/2020