Tiny bugs and mummies: a clever mix! Archaeoentomology, archaeoparasitology and 3D reconstruction
Résumé
Funerary bundles of pre-Columbian America are frequently the hosts of many different insects and parasites that can act precious auxiliaries to get unprecedented data on the mummy itself and, more comprehensively, on past funerary practices. After defining the discipline known as “Funerary archaeoentomology”, we will present a new working approach, using CT scan and 3D reconstruction of certain anatomical regions that may have been colonized by insects at the time of death or shortly after. This new study process reconstructs the mummy and the entomological material with the help of adapted filters. This non-invasive and non-destructive method respects the standards of museum conservation. Finally, we will present the first results of our research carried out within the framework of a PhD thesis, with as examples some of the 89 funerary bundles coming from the site of Pachacamac of the central coast of Peru which constitute our corpus of study