10 Famous Preserved Corpses

Mummies aren't exactly a cuddly subject but they are important for archaeologists. The ability to obtain an accurately preserved snapshot of the past helps us in colouring what we know about the human story. However, that doesn't mean mummies can't also haunt your nightmares.

During a 1999 search for Incan sacrifice sites, an archaeological team lead by Dr Jahan Reinhard discovered an ornate gravesite at Mount Llullaillaco on the border between Chile and Argentina. When they started doing whatever archaeologists do they discovered the incredibly well-preserved bodies of three children.

Sacrifice was an important function of Incan society. It wasn't exactly the same as, say, the Aztec style of stabbing a torso on top of a pillar: the cause of the death of all three Llullaillaco children was due to an overdose of a corn-based beer and coca leaves. We can take some relief that the children died in their sleep but the whole practice must have been terrifying.

The bodies are in remarkably good condition considering they are over 500 years old. It's thought that the high altitude and general low temperature of their mountain crypt is what has preserved the bodies so well.