Customer Reviews

The Ice Maiden: Inca Mummies, Mountain Gods, and Sacred Sites in the Andes

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"The Ice Maiden" is a riveting personal account of three decades of arduous high altitude archeological exploration by the author and his teams of Peruvian and Argentine archeologists, scientists, students and campesinos that culminated in their discovery, excavation and recovery of over a dozen Inca sacrificial mummies from Andean mountaintops (I lost count.) Even more hair-raising than the story of the initial discovery of the "Juanita" on Ampato near Arequipa, Peru are Reinhard's descriptions of later expeditions to the 22,000-foot summit of Llullaillaco in north-western Argentina, where his team found several Inca mummies in almost perfect condition. Though the progress of each expedition, from planning, ascent, through discovery, excavation to recovery descent are told in a simple, chronological style, these stories grab your full attention, similar to Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air," because the expeditions were so difficult, dangerous, and obscure. The teams faced lightening, blizzards, and drought many times, but also acidic drinking water near the top of the volcano Misti, near Cuzco, transport breakdowns, from army trucks to burros, and quarrels among local police, military, civilian authority and university staff about where the mummies should be kept, to say nothing of running out of food and funds. The facts of this odyssey are far stranger than fiction.
Having tried amateur mountaineering while I lived in Bolivia in the early nineties, I know how hard it is to try to walk, eat, sleep and think at 18,000 feet and above, much less conduct excavations for weeks at a time at these altitudes (sometimes including scuba diving to underwater sites), painstakingly recording and filming findings, making life and death decisions about team members' health, and carefully carrying mummies and artifacts down to the villages and towns below.
For the scientifically inclined Dr. Reinhard includes explanations of Inca culture, compared to other mountain cultures, archeological excavation and recovery techniques, modern medical procedures such as CAT scans and DNA testing, textile recovery, and high-altitude medicine. For political scientists, sociologists and the general reader he describes the sometimes noble, sometimes petty, always byzantine squabbles among international and local scholars, scientists, politicians, civilian and military authorities, and local ethnic groups for control of the mummies and their artifacts, research rights, and rights to publish popular or scientific articles about them. For the most part, these kinds of disagreements seem to have been amicably resolved. Dr. Reinhard does an excellent job of explaining why archeological excavation, recovery and safe-keeping of the Inca mummies is not desecration of them or their culture, but rather historical and cultural preservation and celebration: the many sites that his team found wasted by looters, sometimes by dynamite, including destruction of the bodies of mummies themselves (as well as by lightening) demonstrates what the practical alternatives to archeology are.
This book is by its nature intensively auto-biographical, describing each expedition in considerable detail, with the author's theories, hopes, and fears at each step, because he was the driving force in conceiving and undertaking these arduous expeditions to the tops of obscure South American volcanoes to uncover the secrets of the Inca mummies. The Ice Maiden is testimony to the courage and determination of the author and his teammates (especially Arcadio!) to undertake such field work, on shoe-string budgets over decades, to prove or disprove their and others' theories about mountain worship and human sacrifice in the Andes.

Five stars.


Stephen C. Allen, Kyiv, Ukraine, July 9, 2005

Johan Reinhard led the archeological expeditions that discovered incredibly well-preserved Inca mummies in the Andes Mountains, including the world-famous Juanita in Peru and even more exciting finds in Argentina. This book offers details on several of Reinhard's expeditions, along with some new knowledge about Inca culture. We learn here that Inca nobles often traveled with great hardship to the summits of the most imposing mountains in the Andes, centuries before the advent of technical mountaineering. In fact, the mountains themselves were revered as deities, and human sacrifices were offered at their very summits, resulting in mummies that were remarkably preserved in the frigid environment. This book features outstanding photos of these mummies and the other valuable Inca artifacts that were found on the expeditions, while Reinhard reveals all the possibilities of the brand new science of high-altitude archeology, which have already contributed to expanding our knowledge of the Incas. The only problem with this book is that Reinhard spends far more time discussing the logistical and interpersonal issues behind his expeditions. This is still readable info for those interested in mountaineering, but Reinhard lapses into unnecessary details about personal disputes and bureaucratic red tape. This is all at the expense of more knowledge about the details of Inca culture that were unveiled, especially concerning their mountain climbing practices and their customs of human sacrifice in some of the most inhospitable locations on Earth. [~doomsdayer520~]

Johan Reinhard is one of the true explorers of our time and his achievements in the high Andes will be remembered as among the greatest scientific discoveries in the field of archaeology. Having worked for years in Nepal as an ethnographer, and having participated in several major mountaineering expeditions, Reinhard came to Peru with a rare combination of skills and intuitions that allowed him to transform his academic discipline. Recognizing that the Inca and other pre-Columbian civilizations revered mountain deities as the origin of life and symbols of fertility and made human sacrifices as a means of rendering sacred the bond between humans and the land, Reinhard began the arduous task of surveying the summits of some 250 Andean peaks. A highly accomplished mountaineer and veteran of Everest expeditions, he possessed the unique combination of physical ability and intellectual precision and creativity that allowed him to do what many had deemed to be impossible-complete and systematic archaeological excavations in frozen ground at heights of well over 6000 meters. The Ice Maiden is an amazing account of both these impossible expeditions and the astonishing discoveries that continue to this day to yield insights into the nature of life in the Andes before the arrival of the Spanish and the beginning of the deluge that swept away the greatest empire ever to have been brought into being in the Americas. This book is a must read for anyone interesting in the challenge of exploration and the triumph of scientific discovery.

Johan Reinhard has succeeded in telling a story in such a way that it will appeal to a wide audience - youngsters as well as oldsters, lay persons as well as technical experts. Dr. Reinhard is an excellent communicator and his book contains all the elements of an engrossing novel - mysterious and chilling religious practices, daunting physical obstacles, political intrigue - yet it proves that real life can be more interesting than fiction. The book is very readable and is difficult to put down once started. Dr. Reinhard
has clearly done his homework in terms of researching the lone-gone Inca civilization and how it relates to the present situation in Peru and how the Ice Maiden and other mummies form a bridge between past and present. The generous use of illustrations adds tremendously to the enjoyment and understanding of one of the most important archeological finds of the 20th century.

This is a tale of finding things a long ways up a frozen mountain. It begins with a volcanic eruption that causes a collapse of the ground around a burial site. Now exposed is the small frozen mummy of an Inca girl, presumably (but not certainly) a deliberate sacrifice.

The discovery of this mummy, now called the Ice Maiden began a series of architectural discoveries in the region that have greatly expanded our knowledge of the Incas and their way of life.

This book takes the form of a personal travelogue written by one of the National Geographic's Explorers-in-Residence. It is a blend of architecture, mountaineering, and exploration in an area still not frequented by many. It is at once a personal story and a report on a momentous finding.

The photographs in the center of the book are so stunning, that my one regret is that this section isn't twice or three times as long as it is.

To see the face of Juanita is to be transported back in time, in a way that artifacts alone don't quite do. This story of the combination of scholarship and serendipity that brought her back home from from the peak and into our time is compelling on many levels: Students will read of Reinhard's entry into the explorer's life, and begin to chart their own paths. Those who will never attain 20,000-foot mountaintops will feel the pull of those distant heights, and know their world has been broadened by the experience. Academics will add the information gained from these expeditions to their understanding of the relationship between men and geography. And readers who enjoy a good adventure yarn will have just that, whether at the beach or in front of the fire next winter.

Johan Reinhard tells a great story of exploration and archaeology. Reinhard lets the story unfold as a narrative of discovery, following the tradition of such books on Peru as Hiram Bingham's "Lost City of the Incas." It begins with the fortuitous recovery of the intact frozen body of an Inca girl sacrificed 500 years ago near the summit of a 6,000 meter volcano in southern Peru, and continues with the painstaking work done on the body and the artifacts found at the site. Then it moves on to a series of subsequent discoveries of more mummies and artifacts found on mountaintops in Peru, Chile and Argentina. The scientific research veers into many fields-not only archaeology, anthropology ethnography, but also cell and molecular biology, CT scans, DNA analysis, ceramics and textile analysis (amazingly complex), geology, conservation techniques, cooling technology, and cryonics.

For me the most interesting part was about "mummy politics," a fellow archaeologist's term for the in-fighting over the finds. Aside from adding more of human interest for the non-specialist, it helps a reader better understand the reasons for decisions being made. He is critical of the actions of a few people, but from what I remember from news reports at the time, he takes it pretty easy on them. On the other hand, one of the pleasures of the book is the easy rapport and respect that develop between Reinhard and his companions on his expeditions. Reinhard also includes an analysis of the ethics of excavating pre-Columbian sites.

I found the 15 pages of Endnotes and the lengthy Bibliography to provide a thorough reference for anyone wanting more details, but the book does have one major defect--and that is the graphics. There's a nice section of photos in the middle of the book, but just a few black and whites printed along with the text. I found it hard to follow the logistics and geography of the climbs and sites, and more maps and drawings would have been a big help.

I was living in Peru during the period of the original discovery of the Ice Maiden and the controversies which followed, and was fascinated to read the details. I wasn't aware that Reinhard had later found so many other frozen mummies, and these discoveries are equally as stunning, especially the climactic chapters on the magnificent discoveries at 6,700 meters (!) on Llullaillaco in Argentina. It's really amazing what Reinhard and his teams have been able to find at such altitudes. And of course, even more amazing what the Incas were able to accomplish 500 years ago.

Reinhard has done a masterful job of writing up a fantastic archaeological find for the layman who is without formal anthropological education. The mountaineering aspect of both Reinhard and friends and the Inca 500 years ago is beyond ordinary. The politics of trying to do a scientific adventure in a third world country is described very well. I recently (Nov '08) did similar work; volunteer conservation trail work, teaching mountain rescue to local rangers/police, ruin and trail stabilization, etc. in Peru and can fully appreciate his descriptions of the surroundings. I recommend this book for anyone planning a trip to the Arequipa and Cuzco areas.

The world's oldest artifically preserved mummies (before 4000 B.C.) were found in coastal regions of southern Peru and northern Chile. "Mummies provide information which can be used to educate the world about the unique history of a remarkable ancient civilization. These frozen bodies allow a view into the past that cannot be obtained through any other means. Because of the Incas' practice of making human sacrifices at sites on high mountains, the Andes region is the only one in the world with a good chance of finding frozen mummies."

There was no form of writing in the Andes prior to the Spanish conquest of 1532. Although no Spaniard in Peru witnessed a human sacrifice, several 'chroniclers' reported details provided to them by the Incas. "The monumental complex of structures at Tiahuanaco, Boliivia, constitutes one of the most impressive archaeological sites in South America. Large monoliths were used in making religious structures nearly 1700 years ago. This urban-ceremonial complex was the center for a civilization that lasted more than 700 years -- longer than the Roman Empire."

The highest point of Ampato's summit had steep gullies leading down from it. The Ice Maiden (named Juanita) was swept down one of the gullies when a part of the summit ridge collapsed. The Ice Maiden's bundle was found lying in the open amidst ice pinnacles, after it had fallen down from the summit. She had been sacrificed to the gods on Ampato more than five hundred years ago. "Her frozen body evokes her humanity, while also being a time capsule, providing unprecedented information about one of the ancient world's most important civilizations."

In 1999, three frozen mummies were found at Llullaillaco, a young boy and two older females. Johan Reinhard's children's book, DISCOVERING THE INCA ICE MAIDEN (1995) was successful and chosen as 'Outstanding Book of the Year' by the Junior Literary Guild.

Recently scientists examined an Inca human sacrifice found on Mount Chuscha in northwestern Argentina. There was a PBS special on this and Reinhard's expeditions in the 90s called ICE MUMMIES. He was a research associate at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago before his 'finds' and is now 'explorer-in-residence of the National Geographic Society' who published this book.

Johann Reinhard's moment by moment account of discovering the Incan Ice Maiden covered all the subjects I wanted with the topic of this importance. He reports not only the expected archeology, historical/cultural context, and actual discoveries, but also the logistics, preservation science and the usual professional infighting that accompanies such media intense stories. Reinhard exposes much of his thoughts and feelings toward the growing number of players as everyone wants to be part of the story. Would-be explorers would do well to read and note the worries and difficulties modern discoveries take on.