Last week Monday the local paper, El Correo, published an article on an extraordinary find in Incahuasi. Below the church a mummy was found of what appeared to be an Inca chief. Deposited in a coffin the body was adorned with bracelets and pectoral in Inca style. Local dignitaries called for experts to come and visit the site and confirm its importance. Three days later it reported that the University of La Paz has responded and a delegation was on its way. The University San Xavier of Sucre, however, the newspaper added, had ignored the call for help. As Incahuasi lies within the area of responsibility of the Sucre museum it was clear that something had to be done. A journalist turned up at the museum and the next day it was reported that Sucre was not only going to send its two resident archaeologists but also an expert from London University (?!) (Please note that La Paz and Sucre are currently locked in a battle over Capital Status).
We left the following Tuesday for a 10 hours drive along dirt track roads along sharp mountain drops. Having arrived at Incahuasi it turned out that none of the members of the special committee instantaneously formed to deal with the discovery was present and we were to wait until the next day to view the treasure. In front of the church about 40 youths had gathered to await the latest news and maybe to reenter the church. The committee gathered the next day and many pictures were taken of all the dignitaries. Again a crowd had formed ready to push into the church. It was decided that only a few select members could enter under surveillance of the local police. The committee expressed it concerns about the archaeologists entering the church and possibly removing valuable artefacts that were to form the first museum in Incahuasi and attract many tourists. After reassurances were made we were allowed in, accompanied by what turned out to be quite a large crowd after all.
The first view was shocking; the floor had been completely removed and ground was dotted with holes, dug by treasure hunters. Human bones were everywhere. To deal with the large quantities of bones large rubbish bags had been filled. Skulls were lined up along the edges. The coffin of the alleged Inca was opened and we were advised to wear face masks. In it was a body, still in the process of decomposition, with some remains of flesh and rotting textiles, but no signs of any adornments. No one had ever seen the bracelets or pectoral reported in the newspaper. We were looking at a modern cemetery with at the centre the body of a male, who had clearly not been dead that long. There was not much for us to do but to retreat with the announcement that an official meeting would be called later that evening. The meeting was announced with gunshots, and some hours later at least one hundred villagers appeared. This was not going to be easy, as news had already spread that hopes of a great tourist attraction at Incahuasi had been dashed by the specialists. The atmosphere was tense with angry looks being exchanged between different factions within the committee. Edmundo, museum director, instructed us to speak for 30 minutes and them make a quick retreat. I was encouraged to take an active part in the process and was given the role of explaining, in my still developing Spanish, that the person presumed to be an Inca was a recent dead, as his body was still very much in the process of decomposition; a male, as parts of the genitals were still visible; between 40 and 50 years old and buried in a modern coffin constructed with a mechanical saw. Oh joy!
Afterwards we made a quick escape to a backyard where tea with alcohol was served and hid from the rest of the population. Fortunately one of the older committee members had begun to talk to us about discoveries made on hill slopes surrounding the village, which we visited the next day. These turned out to be genuinely interesting with settlement and burial features, which date to the Pre-Inca period. The material is now being analysed and will very likely provide the basis for further survey work next year.
We left the following Tuesday for a 10 hours drive along dirt track roads along sharp mountain drops. Having arrived at Incahuasi it turned out that none of the members of the special committee instantaneously formed to deal with the discovery was present and we were to wait until the next day to view the treasure. In front of the church about 40 youths had gathered to await the latest news and maybe to reenter the church. The committee gathered the next day and many pictures were taken of all the dignitaries. Again a crowd had formed ready to push into the church. It was decided that only a few select members could enter under surveillance of the local police. The committee expressed it concerns about the archaeologists entering the church and possibly removing valuable artefacts that were to form the first museum in Incahuasi and attract many tourists. After reassurances were made we were allowed in, accompanied by what turned out to be quite a large crowd after all.
The first view was shocking; the floor had been completely removed and ground was dotted with holes, dug by treasure hunters. Human bones were everywhere. To deal with the large quantities of bones large rubbish bags had been filled. Skulls were lined up along the edges. The coffin of the alleged Inca was opened and we were advised to wear face masks. In it was a body, still in the process of decomposition, with some remains of flesh and rotting textiles, but no signs of any adornments. No one had ever seen the bracelets or pectoral reported in the newspaper. We were looking at a modern cemetery with at the centre the body of a male, who had clearly not been dead that long. There was not much for us to do but to retreat with the announcement that an official meeting would be called later that evening. The meeting was announced with gunshots, and some hours later at least one hundred villagers appeared. This was not going to be easy, as news had already spread that hopes of a great tourist attraction at Incahuasi had been dashed by the specialists. The atmosphere was tense with angry looks being exchanged between different factions within the committee. Edmundo, museum director, instructed us to speak for 30 minutes and them make a quick retreat. I was encouraged to take an active part in the process and was given the role of explaining, in my still developing Spanish, that the person presumed to be an Inca was a recent dead, as his body was still very much in the process of decomposition; a male, as parts of the genitals were still visible; between 40 and 50 years old and buried in a modern coffin constructed with a mechanical saw. Oh joy!
Afterwards we made a quick escape to a backyard where tea with alcohol was served and hid from the rest of the population. Fortunately one of the older committee members had begun to talk to us about discoveries made on hill slopes surrounding the village, which we visited the next day. These turned out to be genuinely interesting with settlement and burial features, which date to the Pre-Inca period. The material is now being analysed and will very likely provide the basis for further survey work next year.
