Unveiling the Visage of Peru's Frozen Mummy: Archaeologists Shed Light on the Ice Maiden

Archaeologists have created a model of Peru's most famous mummy, known as "Juanita" or the "Inca Ice Maiden". Juanita is believed to have been an Inca girl who was sacrificed in a ritual over 500 years ago. The scientists collaborated with a specialist in facial reconstruction to build a silicon bust of the mummy. The bust, which took around 400 hours of work, shows a teenage girl with pronounced cheekbones, dark eyes, and brown skin. The reconstruction was guided by body scans, skull measurements, DNA studies, and ethnological characteristics. Johan Reinhard, the archaeologist who discovered the mummy in 1995, expressed his excitement about finally being able to see what Juanita may have looked like when she was alive. Juanita was found at a high altitude of 6,400m (21,000ft) during an expedition to the Ampato volcano, wearing a ceremonial outfit and surrounded by various objects. Studies on her body suggest she was between 14 and 15 years old when she was sacrificed. Further analysis indicates that her cause of death was a severe blow to the back of her head, potentially from a truncheon-like object. According to the Inca belief system, such sacrifices brought honor to the parents and ensured a blissful afterlife for the victims, who would be revered as intermediaries with the gods for generations.