BURIAL OF
A QUEEN
Surrounded in splendor, the mummy bundle
of an elite noblewoman gave great insight into
the funerary traditions of the Wari people. In
preparation for burial, the Huarmey Queen was
dressed in a finely woven linen tunic and shawl.
Red pigment was applied to her face, and jew-
elry adorned her ears and hands. The body was
placed in a seated position and then wrapped in
several layers: first a cloth, followed by a striped
blanket, a net of knotted cords, and then another
blanket as the outermost covering. Analysis of
the mummy revealed that the queen was about
60 years old when she died.11
33
22
44
FERNANDO G. BAPTISTA/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE