June 15th - Huacachina/Ica III

Greetings again,

Today being my last full day in the area, I set out to see the locally famous Museo Regional de Ica. It lived up to its reputation as a treasure trove of local archaeology, and even included a sizeable exhibit on bioarchaeology. A doctor cum archaeologist from North America came down with students in tow and analyzed several of the skulls, mummies, and miscellanious bones that have been found in the Paracas and Ica areas. Peruvian mummification practices actually predate those of Egypt. Preservation here is particularly good, thanks to the effects of dry desert sands.

The display included mummies, which were stuffed with cotton batting, seated in baskets, held in position with ropes, and wrapped in multiple layers of textiles, with offerings placed between the layers. Five mostly unwrapped mummies were on display, as well as a case of trophy heads, trepanned skulls from 2000 years ago showing years of post-surgical healing, skulls which had been systematically deformed to the fashion of the elongated, ultra tall heads of the Paracas elite, and the assorted grave offerings that accompanied those people into the sand. At the end of the hall was a display of x-rays and bones showing evidence of various illnesses and parasites. Each was labeled, and it was fascinating to see the lasting evidence of pneumonia, malnutrition, healed fractures, tuburculosis, and several other maladies.

The rest of the museum included ceramics and textiles from the area, but heartbreakingly, many of the finest textiles were stolen last October. The worst was a room which payed tribute to the community effort involved to raise money for restoration of a large embroidery. The photos showed the fundraising campaign, the full restoration process, and culminated in a photo of the happy citizens standing around the finished textile in its case. It's such a shame that the case is now occupied by a large photo of the piece instead.

After the museum, I returned to my oasis for a last leisurely afternoon here. Tomorrow I'm off to Nazca, at least that's my plan for the moment. I'm writing this from a different computer stall than my usual. The computer screen is entirely pink. Oddly, I seem to be getting used to looking at my blog through a rose colored screen.

Until next time, those of you in earthquake country, fasten your seatbelts. Apparently the whole ring of fire is acting up these days.

Hasta pronto,

Karen