This mantle probably came from the City of the
Dead, a desert burial ground created by the people of Paracas and
discovered by archaeologist Julio Tello in 1925.
It was the outer wrapping of a mummy bundle - a dead body
wrapped in cloth. The mummy bundles Tello found contained
many layers of mantles. Some are plain, and some are elaborately
decorated with pictures of animals and other symbols.
Tello also found food, gold ornaments, and other fine objects
wrapped inside the bundles. People buried this way
were probably wealthy leaders of the community.
