# Canonical recap data for Chinchorro Mummification Begins (7000)
# Source: https://recap.at/7000/chinchorro-mummification
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: chinchorro-mummification
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/7000/chinchorro-mummification"
title: Chinchorro Mummification Begins
subtitle: The oldest known mummification practices in South America represent sophisticated mortuary rituals and ceremonial protocols, predating Egyptian practices by 2,000 years.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 7000-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 7000
decade: 7000
country:
name: Chile
slug: chile
summaryShort: The Chinchorro mummies are mummified remains of individuals from the South American Chinchorro culture, found in what is now northern Chile. They are the oldest examples of artificially mummified human remains, having been buried up to two thousand years before the Egyptian mummies. The earliest mummy that has been fou
summaryLong: The Chinchorro mummies are mummified remains of individuals from the South American Chinchorro culture, found in what is now northern Chile. They are the oldest examples of artificially mummified human remains, having been buried up to two thousand years before the Egyptian mummies. The earliest mummy that has been found in Egypt dates from around 3000 BC, while the oldest purposefully artificially preserved Chinchorro mummies date from around 5050 BC.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/ChinchorroMummiesSanMiguelDeAzapa.jpg/1280px-ChinchorroMummiesSanMiguelDeAzapa.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Chinchorro mummies"
importance: 71
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts: []
timeline: []
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinchorro_mummies"
  title: Chinchorro Mummification
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- festival
metaDescription: The Chinchorro mummies are mummified remains of individuals from the South American Chinchorro culture, found in what is now northern Chile. They are the oldest
wikidataQid: Q27096877
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260609152257/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinchorro_mummies"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-09
  label: Chinchorro Mummification
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinchorro_mummies"
