Peru: Experts Reveal Reconstructed Face of 'Ice Maiden,' Country's Famous Mummy

The face of Peru's most renowned mummy, the "Ice Maiden" named Juanita, a teenage Inca girl who was sacrificed in a ritual over 500 years ago high in the Andes, was unveiled on Tuesday through a silicone-made bust, AP reports.

The lifelike reconstruction depicts a young woman with distinct cheekbones, black eyes, and tanned skin.

This remarkable achievement was made possible by a collaborative effort between Polish and Peruvian scientists and a Swedish sculptor specializing in facial reconstructions.

The unveiling took place at the Andean Sanctuaries Museum of the Catholic University of Santa Maria in Arequipa.

Johan Reinhard, the US anthropologist who discovered the Peru mummy known as "Juanita" or the "Inca Ice Maiden" in 1995 on the snow-capped Ampato volcano at an altitude exceeding 6,000 meters (19,685 feet), expressed his amazement at finally being able to see what her face might have looked like in life.

He commended the work of Oscar Nilsson, the sculptor behind the reconstruction, who made this long-awaited revelation possible 28 years after the mummy's discovery.

Experts From Peru, Poland, Sweden Worked for the Facial Reconstruction of 'Ice Maiden'

The silicone bust of the Inca girl was meticulously crafted by a collaborative team of Peruvian and Polish scientists in conjunction with Nilsson, a Swedish specialist in facial reconstruction, per BBC.

Their reconstruction process was informed by body scans, skull measurements, DNA studies, and ethnological characteristics to ensure the accuracy of the final representation.

Nilsson shared that modeling the face required approximately 400 hours of work, resulting in a lifelike depiction of a young girl with distinct cheekbones, dark eyes, and brown skin.

Dagmara Socha, a Polish bioarchaeologist at the University of Warsaw's Center for Andean Studies, explained the initial steps in the creation process, which involved obtaining a replica of the skull.

According to Dr. Reinhard, who detailed the Inca belief system in an article for Penn Museum's Expedition Magazine, such sacrifices were carried out to honor the parents and secure an afterlife of happiness for the victims.

In the eyes of the villagers, these children would become deified and serve as intermediaries with the gods, a status that would be revered for generations.

Peru's 'Ice Maiden,' Juanita

According to anthropological studies, Juanita was sacrificed between AD 1440 and 1450, making her approximately 13 to 15 years old at the time of her ritualistic sacrifice, according to CBS News.

She measured 1.40 meters (55 inches) in height, weighed 35 kilograms (77 pounds), and was found to be well-nourished.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University conducted a CT scan, revealing that the probable cause of her death was a severe blow to the right occipital lobe.

Johan Reinhard, an anthropologist renowned for his discoveries of Inca human sacrifices high in the Andes, including the three children found in an icy pit at Argentina's Llullaillaco volcano, mentioned that scientists have been actively investigating various aspects of Juanita's life.

This includes studying her diet and the objects found alongside her.

To preserve the remains of these three children, they are stored in a freezer at the museum. The eldest girl is now displayed in a specially constructed case designed to maintain her remains at -4°F.

The case is filled with a specific gas to prevent deterioration and is maintained in a pressurized atmosphere to safeguard against ice burn, the Daily Mail noted.

"These findings have helped us better understand her life and the Inca culture," he said. "Now we can see what she really looked like, which makes her even more alive."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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