Known as ‘The Maiden’, the teenager is one of the best preserved mummies ever discovered
Archeologists have praised the incredible preservation of a 15-year-old girl who was discovered more than 500 years after her death.
Known as ‘The Maiden’, the mummified remains of the Inca girl were discovered by archaeologists in Argentina in 1999 She was found alongside two other children who have come to be known as ‘the boy’ and ‘the girl of lightening’, all of who are believed to have been left on a mountaintop as offerings to the gods…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
The children weren’t purposefully preserved; instead the cold weather on the mountaintop worked to mummify their bodies, leaving their organs, blood, skin and even facial features largely unscathed.
The Maiden was dressed in a ceremonial tunic and wore a headpiece; clothing which National Geographic reports were tokens of her status as a messenger to the heavens.
One of the archaeologists described the find as the ‘highlight’ of his life. (Natacha Pisarenko/AP via National Geographic)
Johan Reinhard, who co-led the expedition, was blown away by the discovery, which he described at the time as ‘the best preserved of any mummy I’ve seen’.
Speaking to National Geographic in 2005, he added: “The discovery of the three mummies [in 1999] … was the highlight of my life, or certainly [of] my work in the Andes.
“These mummies were far better preserved … than the Ice Maiden.”
The Ice Maiden was another frozen mummy found on a Peruvian peak in 1995.
She was found to have drunk corn liquor, which scientists have speculated may have been used to put her asleep.
There were also fragments of coca leaves in her mouth, which the Inca chewed to help reduce the effects of altitude sickness as they climbed the mountain.
‘The Boy’ was among the children found frozen on the mountain. (JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images)
The other children in her company on the mountain top were a six-year-old girl who earned her nickname due to the fact she had been struck by lightning sometime after she died, resulting in burns on her face and upper body.
The boy who was found mummified was seven years old.
Though the children were sacrificed, this was believed to be an honor in their community.
Inca belief was that the children did not die, but rather joined their ancestors to watch over their villages.
Only healthy and beautiful children were sacrificed. DNA tests showed that the three children chosen for this particular sacrifice were not related.
In 2007, the mummified body of The Maiden was put on display for the first time at the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology.
Here we go behind the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election in Nigeria. This election is considered the freest and fairest election in the annals of Nigeria’s history. Then why was it annulled?
On the 31st of December, 1983, the military aborted the second attempt of Alhaji Sheu Shagari to run a democratic government due to gross electoral misconducts that happened during the election. The military seized power in a bloodless coup and installed Major-General Mohammadu Buhari as the Head of State and the Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
Operation wetie, also known as Wild Wild West, was the name given to the series of riots that characterized both the political and civilian scene of the defunct Western Region of Nigeria in the 1960s. Operation wetie, in the context of the crises, means to douse or wet politicians, their properties and supporters with petrol and set them ablaze.
The background of the riots is traced to the 1962 Action Group crises which was a result of the struggle for power between two political leaders of the Western Region and Action Group (AG), Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Samuel Akintola. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
The bloody riots started with an intra-party disagreements between the leader of the Action Group, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and his deputy, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola. It all began when Chief Obafemi Awolowo gave up his post as the Premier of Western Region to seek power as the Prime Minister but lost and settled as the leader of opposition in the federal parliament…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
Arrival in Africa brought unforeseen danger for Pauline. Navigating the dense jungle quickened her heart. Amongst swaying leaves and tangled vines, a looming figure saw her eye. It was a massive, angry gorilla, dark and bristling.
