Peruvian antiquities / by Mariano Edward Rivero and John James von Tschudi ; translated by Francis L. Hawks.

  • Mariano Eduardo de Rivero y Ustariz
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Peruvian antiquities / by Mariano Edward Rivero and John James von Tschudi ; translated by Francis L. Hawks. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Tambo, foir leagues from Cuzco, where the body was seated upon a species of throne, in a natural position, before the figure of the Sun^ in the principal temple of the capital. Very interesting are those accounts given by the early chroniclers of those mummies which they obtained a view of. Garcilasso (1. c. Book v., Chap, xxix.) says; “ In the chamber are found five bodies of the Inca sovereigns; three of men, and two of women. The first was said by the In- dians to be the Inca Yiracocha^ of great age, whose hair was white as snow. The second was said to be the great Tupac- Tnca-Yupanqui, who was the great-grand-son of Viracocha- Inca. The third was Huayna-Capac^ son of Tupac-Inca-Yxc- panqui^ and great-great-grand-son of the Inca Viracocha. The two latter had not apparently lived as long; for, although they had marks of old age, they were less than those of Vira- cocha. One of the women was the queen, Mama-Runiu, wife of the Inca Viracocha. The other was the Coya-Mama- Ocllo, mother of Huayna-Capac] and it is probable that the Indians placed them near each other, after the death of hus- band and wife, as they were united in life. The bodies were so entire,that they lacked neither hair, eye-brows, nor eye-lashes. They were dressed in their usual habiliments, such as they wore when living, with ornaments on their heads, and without other ensign of royalty. They were seated as the Indians usually seat themselves,—their hands crossed over their breasts, the right over the left, the eyes cast down, as though they gazed upon the ground.” According to the testimony of others, Oonzalo Pizarro men extracted the intestines, and filled the cavities with liquid rosin, afterward introducing the corpse into a large trunk made of palm, lined with sheets of gold within and without; and they were carried secretly, and buried in a vault already made, from the day on which they began to reign, in secret and distant provinces.
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