Tag: Andean Shrines Museum

Andean Sanctuaries Museum, Arequipa - Peru The frozen body of Juanita, a girl from Inca times found during an expedition to the Ampato Volcano, is the main attraction of this museum. The Andean Sanctuary Museum of the Catholic University of Santa Maria also has 5 rooms where ceramic, textile, organic and metal objects of the Inca culture are exhibited. Between 1989 and 1996, thanks to the Southern Andean High Altitude Sanctuaries Project, 17 frozen bodies of children were found in different snow-capped mountains. With these remains, research could be carried out to learn about "La Capac Cocha", an Inca ceremony that took place every 4 to 7 years. This event consisted of sending a retinue to different "apus" of the 4 "suyos" so that when they reached the summit they would sacrifice a child as an offering to the gods. During their journey, the travelers were received with honors by the towns through which they passed. Before climbing to the summit, they would set up camp in a nearby camp previously prepared for that purpose. Then only the offered child and a priest would go upstairs, who would give the child a hallucinogen to make him sleepy and then sacrifice him. In the MUSA, in addition to seeing the frozen girl, you can see a video explaining the expeditions to the snow-capped mountains, as well as different objects found that were used in these trips. What to see and do at the Andean Sanctuaries Museum? Watch the video about the Capac Cocha. As soon as you enter the museum, you can see a 20-minute video documentary in the first room, with images and testimonies of the people who made this project. Appreciate Inca handicrafts in ceramics and metals. One of the rooms is dedicated to the handcrafted objects that were