智利北部阿里卡市一座博物馆内陈列的钦乔罗木乃伊
智利形象基金会供图 （费利佩·坎蒂亚纳摄）

The Atacama Desert in northern Chile is known as the world's "driest spot." Despite its coastal location, the unique climate and geographical conditions result in this land experiencing little to no rainfall for long periods, with very few living organisms able to survive. However, this has created an ideal environment for preserving traces of ancient cultures.

Decades ago, archaeologists discovered several well-preserved artificial mummies in this desert. Over the following decades, as research deepened, numerous mummies were found one after another. Radiocarbon dating results indicate that these mummies are over years old. The "Chinchorro culture" to which they belong is one of the earliest cultures in the world to mummify the dead, predating Egypt by over a millennium.

The Chinchorro cultural artifacts and hundreds of mummies that have been unearthed are well preserved in several museums in Chile. However, researchers believe that many more Chinchorro sites remain hidden beneath the sands. Yet, as the global climate crisis intensifies, these ancient cultural traces face the threat of disappearing forever.

Research indicates that the Chinchorros settled along the northern coast of Chile and the southern coast of Peru around 1000 BC. Utilizing marine resources, they developed a sophisticated fishing culture, with seafood such as fish and shellfish as their primary diet. No evidence of pottery or metallurgy was found in the Chinchorros cultural sites, but they exhibited complex burial practices and a unique reverence for the concept of death.

The Chinchorro people initially buried their dead in the desert, wrapping them in mats and animal skins to create naturally mummified bodies, along with items such as shells and fishing nets. Later, they began to perform special treatments on the deceased, creating various types of mummies. For example, the "black mummies" were coated with manganese-containing substances, had their flesh removed, and their skulls filled with herbs and ashes. Another type was the "red mummies," made from children's bodies, with blackened faces, wrapped in leather straps dyed red.

Max Uhle, the German archaeologist hailed as the "Father of South American Archaeology," was the earliest researcher of the Chinchorro mummies. He believed that these mummies demonstrated the advanced anatomical and corpse preservation techniques of the Chinchorro culture.

However, these precious archaeological discoveries are now facing serious threats. Andrea Ortega, a heritage conservation expert from the University of Diego Portales in Chile, told the Global magazine that in recent years, drought, soil erosion, rising temperatures, and more frequent extreme weather events may be changing the climate of the Atacama Desert.

Research indicates that if the seawater temperature rises along the northern coast of Chile, atmospheric humidity will increase, which could lead to the decay and damage of the Chinchorro mummies buried in the desert.

To protect the Chinchoro culture, the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Arts, and Heritage, in collaboration with the University of Tarapacá, local governments, and other institutions, have implemented several initiatives. One of these is the establishment of the Chinchoro-Marca Company, which is responsible for the protection and management of related sites, and has initiated the process of nominating the Chinchoro cultural sites for UNESCO World Heritage status.

In the year, the Chinchorro Culture Settlements and Mummification Techniques in the Arica and Parinacota Region of Chile were officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

"The successful inscription on the World Heritage List is of great significance for the protection of the Chinchoro culture, as it has made people pay more attention to the relevant sites. The culture is renowned for its mummies and holds extraordinary value," Ortega said.

In Ortega's view, to better protect the Chinchorro cultural site and mummies, it is essential to strengthen the monitoring of climate change, predict potentially threatening climate events through scientific simulation, and take accurate preventive measures. "Only in this way can these important legacies withstand the test of time, and we can pass them on to future generations."

In addition to climate change, another major challenge facing the preservation of the Chinchorro mummies is unavoidable human activities. Unlike the "barren land" of thousands of years ago, the Atacama Desert region today has built multiple cities and attracts a large number of international tourists due to its unique terrain and excellent stargazing conditions.

The cultural heritage related to Chinchoro is extremely fragile. Camila Castillo, Executive Secretary of the Chinchoro-Marca Company, said, "Most of these sites, with thousands of years of history, are still buried underground, coexisting with modern people on the same land day after day."