Discovering The Inca Ice Maiden

by Johan Reinhard

An anthropologist's tale of his discovery of the five-hundred-year-old frozen Inca teenage woman on the Ampato volcano outlines the journey surrounding the historic finding and what her mummy tells us about ancient Inca culture.

Genres: Archaeology, Nonfiction, History

48 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1998

About the author

Johan Reinhard received his Ph.D in anthropology from the University of Vienna, and has conducted anthropological research in the Andes for more than 20 years.

In addition to being a National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence, he is the author of over seventy publications and is a member of several organizations, including the American Anthropological Association, the Society for American Archaeology, the Explorers Club, the Institute of Andean Studies, and the Royal Geographical Society. Three museums have been built to exhibit the archeological finds made during his expeditions: the Museo Santuarios Andinos (Museum of Andean Sanctuaries) in Arequipa (Peru); the Museo de Arqueologia de Alta Montana (MAAM) (Museum of High Mountain Archaeology) in Salta (Argentina); and a site museum in the village of Challapampa, Island of the Sun, Lake Titicaca (Bolivia). He has received several awards for his research in the Andes, including the Rolex Award for Enterprise in 1987, the Puma de Oro (Bolivia's highest award in the field of archaeology) in 1992, the Gold Medal of the city of Arequipa in 1996, and the Explorers Medal of the Explorers Club in 2002. In 2000 he was selected by Outside magazine as one of “today’s 25 most extraordinary explorers,” and in 2001 the Ford Motor Company chose him as one of twelve "Heroes for the Planet." His latest books include "The Ice Maiden: Inca Mummies, Mountain Gods, and Sacred Sites in the Andes" (2005), "Machu Picchu: Exploring an Ancient Sacred Center" (2007), and "Inca Rituals and Sacred Mountains: A Study of the World's Highest Archaeological Sites" (with Constanza Ceruti) (2010).

Reviews

[Sherry (sethurner) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is another book I found to read in preparation for an upcoming trip to Peru. The author is a mountain climber explorer who discovered the frozen mummy of a 14-year-old girl, and carried back to be studied at a university. The story is fascinating, and it is illustrated with beautiful photos. The book is designed for young readers, but it told me everything I needed to know.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for specialists and those just interested in South America or archaeology on a more general level. While I would love to partake in "extreme archaeology" Aaron has vetoed this idea as too dangerous. Probably a good idea, but Reinhard makes it sounds so appealing, and dangerous too.

[Melissa Dally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, despite this turning out to be a children's book, it's a really good introduction to how the ice maiden was discovered and there are some great pictures.

[Laura Hanke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very honest summary of what high altitude archaeology entails in terms of logistics, expense, and interpersonal struggles with colleagues and institutions for a poorly funded profession. It involves many personal sacrifices.

[Anjalica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most thrilling read for me. I had been contacted because my DNA matched that of the Ice Maiden. Now I want to know more about her being that we are family. This exhilarating, and I cannot seem to get enough information.

[Andrea M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only a few mummies have ever been discovered in South America. This is a photographic journal you get to travel with the man who accidentally discovered the mummified remains of a young woman who was sacrificed to the gods on the top of an old volcano. Some of the scientific discoveries gained from this find are explained.

[Beverley Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read the full story, "Ice Maiden: Inca Mummies, Mountain Gods, and Sacred Sites in the Andes" by Johan Reinhard,but also enjoyed the short version presented in this book. Found in the "Juvenile” section of the library, it had just the amount of information that I needed to appreciate the discovery and the photos are beautiful.

[Flora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short and wonderful story of the discovery of a 14 year Inca maiden who was sacrificed 500 years ago. I want to read the longer version.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book about high altitude archeology in Peru and Argentina.