Groundbreaking study of pre-Columbian mummies in Bolivia underway

In La Paz’s National Museum of Archaeology, a substantial piece of Bolivia’s bioarcheological record has for the past 50 years, been awaiting investigation: almost 50 complete mummified bodies and more than 500 human skulls. The partnership between the museum in La Paz and the Eurac Research Institute for Mummy Studies was proposed by Seal of Excellence researcher Guido Valverde, himself from Bolivia. The ongoing project will review this valuable bioarcheological information through Computer Tomography analysis to gain insights into the lifestyles and pathologies that affected these individuals. A particular focus will be given to analyzing the presence of atherosclerosis - until now thought of as a modern disease but for which there is evidence that the pathology is in fact an inherent component of human aging. Paleogenetic DNA analysis will also reveal the genetic diversity of these ancient South American human populations and provide valuable insights into the interactions between genetics, environment, lifestyle, and their impact the health of these individuals for the first time. In addition to the sampling, a key aspect of the MUMBO project is to develop guidelines for the conservation preservation and ethical treatment of the Bolivian cultural heritage.

The project is funded by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano’s Seal of Excellence Grant “MUMBO”.