Mummified body with knees to chin

Mummified body with knees to chin, likely to be that of a young woman, with bands of twisted cord around the hand and thigh, Peruvian, 800-1400

This preserved body was purchased on behalf of Henry Wellcome’s Historical Medical Museum from a London auction house in 1928 as part of a collection of five 'Peruvian mummies'. Further research is needed to confirm this individual’s cultural and geographical origins, but the relatively high-crowned teeth indicate a young adult. Their very long hair is worn in a plait and thick bun with a centre parting; a style common among women. Red bands of twisted cord are wrapped around the hand and right thigh.