Description of the attraction
The Andean Sanctuary Museum was established in 1996, following important archaeological research on the Sur Andino Shrine Project, led by Dr. Johan Reinhard and José Antonio Chavez. The museum houses the frozen "Juanita mummy" and other Inca objects.
Research carried out by the Catholic University of Santa Maria for four decades in the Arequipa area has found many archaeological artifacts, which are now on display in seven halls of the museum. The world famous mummy "Juanita, Girl in Ice" with her dowry is one of the most famous exhibits in the museum, which can be seen from May 1 to December 31 of each year. For the remaining four months, Juanita is in complete darkness to better preserve the girl's frozen body (her body has not been mummified). Juanita, also known as Lady Ampato, was found in 1995 on the slope of the Ampato volcano at 5800 meters above sea level. A radiocarbon study of Juanita showed that she was 530 years old, a more accurate time of burial - 1466 AD.
Visitors to the museum can also see exhibits made of wood, metal, textiles, gold and ceramics, which were used in the ceremonies of the Inca Kapac Kocha, Viracocha, as well as gold and ceramic figurines, well-preserved blankets.
Currently, the UCSM research center at the Catholic University of Santa Maria de Arequipa has 6 special freezers, with a temperature of 26 ° C below zero, as well as two special exhibition stands with maintaining this temperature and computer control of the operator. Also, in the halls of the museum, an air conditioning system is installed to preserve archaeological materials.
