| Aleutian Mummies Human Mummy | |
| |
| Biographical Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s) | Aleut Mummies |
| Age | various |
| Sex | Unknown |
| Status | both |
| Height | Unknown |
| Source | |
| Culture | Aleutian |
| Date(s) | unknown |
| Site | undisclosed |
| Current Location | |
| Location | |
| Catalog # | |
In 1990 an ancient burial cave containing the mummified remains of more than 30 people was discovered in the Aleutian Islands. The discovery was called one of the most important in Alaska. Bodies of both sexes and all ages, from infants to the very elderly were found in the cache.
Studies[]
Studied mummies evidenced a flexed posture, with the hands and arms extended down between the legs. Wrappings were numerous with multiple outer layers of animal skin, likely seal or sea otter. At least one was wearing a bird skin parka stuffed with feathers.
Well-preserved artifacts found in the cave include weapons, household goods, artwork, and some toys that were buried with children.
Although not entirely well preserved, the bodies had been ceremonially mummified and wrapped for burial in finely woven grass mats.
Mummification[]
The mummification process tends to be different from tribal group to group, but they all had some similarity. The bodies were first disemboweled, the organs removed and the central cavity filled with dried grass. They then placed the body into running water, an action which they thought could remove the body fat, leaving only muscle and skin behind. Next, the body was laid bare in the open air to dry for a long period of time. Fire may also be used to speed up the drying process. Then, fur mats and bird skin were put to use to wrap the body, they then stored the body in a cave or any rock shelter, where it was put to rest on a wooden shelf.
Additional[]
According to the Aleut people, mummification served as an act of sealing in spirit to a family member’s body. The living used the mummies for different reasons, including for advice, for aid in hunting and for protection from their enemies. Sometimes parts of the mummies were removed, like a finger, to be taken on hunts to provide safety and success.
When the Russians first arrived in the Aleutian Islands in the mid-Eighteenth Century, they encountered the remnants of an unknown ethnic group now called the "Mummy People." The Russians were not the first to meet these people, however, the Eskimos had encounterd them in their conquest of the Aleutians. The uncertain origin of the so called mummy offers speculation that they arrived in the Aleutians some 7,000 years ago. Their bones are thought to resemble those of the Ainus still surviving in northern Japan.
External Links[]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1749848/?page=4
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-09-02-mn-1730-story.html
References[]
The Aleutian Islands and the Atacama Desert. (2010). Chinchorro Mummies. Retrieved 17 November 2017, from https://chinchorromummies.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/the-aleutian-islands-and-the-atacama-desert/
Unangan (Native Americans of the Arctic). What-when-how.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017, from http://what-when-how.com/native-americans/unangan-native-americans-of-the-arctic/