Ancient mummies preserved for 7,000 years in the driest desert
The Atacama Desert's extreme dryness naturally preserved Chinchorro mummies for over 7,000 years, keeping skin, hair, and even ancient diseases intact, predating Egyptian mummification.
The Atacama Desert, Earth's driest non-polar place, naturally preserved human remains for millennia. The Chinchorro mummies, dating back over 7,000 years, still have intact skin, hair, and even tattoos. This incredible preservation, predating Egyptian mummification by 2,000 years, occurred because the desert's extreme aridity inhibits bacterial growth, desiccating tissues instead of allowing them to rot.
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