Mummified Infant with Preserved Dentition

This infant mummy (1200–1500) with preserved teeth reflects the funerary practices of pre-Hispanic Andean cultures. Infants were interred with ritual significance, expressing beliefs in life’s cyclical renewal and the soul’s journey beyond death. The natural mummification, aided by the region’s arid and mineral-rich soil, offers valuable insight into ancient Andean mortuary traditions and spiritual cosmology.