Trappings of Mummies

The Ychsma ruled Pachacamac for more than 500 years before the Inca conquered the city in the 15th century. In the time they ruled over Pachacamac, the Ychsma carried out numerous ceremonial and burial rituals. In the spring of 2012, 80 bodies were discovered in a vast Peruvian tomb—the largest yet found at the ancient site of Pachacamac.

"Some, if not all, of the bodies we found were originally wrapped in textiles," says archaeologist Peter Eeckhout, who led the excavation team. Eeckhout’s past work at Pachacamac was funded in part by a National Geographic Society grant.