1949 September 30 - 1949 October 17
Summary
The Paracas Mummy featured the famous pre-Inca Paracas Mummy as well as clothing and other materials discovered during its unwrapping. The mummy was officially unveiled on September 20, 1949 in the Education Hall of the Museum (1, p. 1).
The mummy, approximately 3,000 years old and believed to be a high priest, was discovered in the Paracas coastal plains near Pisco, Peru, in 1927 by Julio C. Tello. It arrived in New York City on Grace Line's Santa Isabel on September 12. Panagra (Pan American-Grace Airways) underwrote the scientific expenditures connected with bringing the mummy to the United States. Dr. Rebeca Carrión, Julio C. Tello's successor as director of the National Museum of Archeology and Anthropology of Peru, accompanied the mummy to New York and supervised the unwrapping. Dr. Carrión was assisted by the Museum's associate curator in Archaeology, Dr. Junuis Bird (1, p. 1; 2).
After its unveiling, the mummy was moved to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall for public exhibition. The mummy was exhibited with many articles of clothing and other material uncovered during the unwrapping process, including three colorful poncho shirts, a large turban, and three well-preserved mantles (2).
This is a condensed summary of the exhibition. For additional information, see Sources and/or Related Resources.
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